Palearctic bee (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthophila) collection of the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência (MNHNC), Lisbon, Portugal

The Palearctic bee collection (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) of the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência (MNHNC) comprises 5,301 specimens represented by 5,295 occurrence records. Of these, 5,292 records belong to the MNHNC core collection, while three derive from the former collection of the Laboratório de Biologia Florestal of the Direcção-Geral dos Serviços Florestais e Aquícolas, now incorporated into the Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV). All specimens are currently housed at the MNHNC. A total of 4,834 records are identified to species or subspecies level, and 5,267 records are georeferenced. The collection is predominantly Portuguese in origin, with a substantial proportion of records coming from the southern and southwestern coastal regions of the country. The Algarve region is particularly well represented, contributing by far the highest number of specimens. Most specimens were collected during the 21st century, as older material was destroyed in a fire in 1978. In addition to the Portuguese material, the MNHNC also houses 66 bee specimens originating from 11 other Palearctic countries.