634, see text Perdita is a large genus of small bees native to North America, particularly diverse in the desert regions of the United States and Mexico.

[1] Perdita are usually quite small (2.0 mm to 10.0 mm) and often brightly colored with metallic reflections and/or yellow or white markings, and among the few lineages of bees incapable of stinging.

Most species are extreme specialists (oligoleges) with respect to pollen and will only collect pollen from a few closely related species or genera of plants.

Many species in this genus are called fairy bees.

[2] They may be parasitized by Neolarra cuckoo bees, which lay eggs in their nests given the opportunity.