What physical aspect causes *Hylaeus* to sometimes be mistaken for wasps or flies?
Answer
Smooth body surface due to near absence of dense hair (pile)
The smooth integument is a major morphological departure from the typical bee appearance, which is characterized by dense, often branched hairs, or pile, used for pollen collection. Because yellow-faced bees have evolved to collect pollen internally, the necessity for this dense hair covering is eliminated, resulting in an exoskeleton that appears shiny, dark, and relatively bare. This sleek, delicate, and often elongated structure allows casual observers to confuse them with other slender insects like certain types of wasps or flies, despite their actual classification as bees.
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