Dasypodaidae

The family Dasypodaidae is a small bee family, with some 70-80 species in 7 genera, found in Africa and the northern temperate zone, primarily in xeric habitats. Historically, they have been considered a subfamily within the family Melittidae, but recent molecular studies indicate that Dasypodaids are not only ancestral to them, but in fact are the sister taxon to all other bees. . The largest genus, Hesperapis, contains some 40 known species, plus several more undescribed, with an unusual disjunct distribution in North America and southern Africa.

They are typically small to moderate-sized bees, with shaggy scopae, and are commonly oligolectic. All members of this family have two submarginal cells in the forewing.