Braunsapis is a genus of bees in the family Apidae and the tribe Allodapini, commonly known as reed bees. It is the largest genus of the tribe and is known for its array of sociality.Engel, M. S. (2013). A new species of the allodapine bee genus Braunsapis from the Central African Republic (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Melittology, (21), 1-7. The genus is distributed in Africa, Asia, and Australasia.Braunsapis Michener. Iziko Museums.
Most of these bees are slender and black, though some are paler or reddish.Braunsapis bees. Bee Genera. Keys and Fact Sheets, BioNET-EAFRINET.
Like other allodapines, bees of this genus raise young in a nest burrow.Engel, M. S., et al. (2014). Allodapine bees in the Arabian Peninsula (Hymenoptera: Apidae): A new species of Braunsapis from the Sarawat Mountains, with an overview of the Arabian fauna. American Museum Novitates 3801 1-15. Burrows are dug in the pith of plants, such as African blue basil and lantana.
Species See: List of Braunsapis species
References
Further reading Singh, S. S. Sundarbans buzzes with discovery of solitary bee. The Hindu 24 January 2016.