abstract:The Colletidae are a family of bees, and are often referred to collectively as plasterer bees or polyester bees, due to the method of smoothing the walls of their nest cells with secretions applied with their mouthparts; these secretions dry into a cellophane-like lining. There are five subfamilies, 54 genera, and over 2000 species, all of them evidently solitary, though many nest in aggregations.