The genus Capicola is closely related to the Neartic genus Hesperapis (Michener 1981, Engel 2005). Hesperapis and Capicola share synapomorphies, notably the shape of stigma, the two sub-marginal cells (the first longer than the second), the galea comb inserted in front of the maxillary palpus insertion and the scopa restricted to the outer face of hind tibia and basitarsus. On the contrary, the two genera differ in the shape of the male S6 and the pygidial plate of female that displays a strong longitudinal median relief in Capicola females.
At the species level, the 13 Capicola can be unambiguously characterized by a unique morphology of their proboscis proportions, body size, punctuation of clypeus, propodeal triangle, shape of hidden male sterna (S6-S8) or male genitalia (Michez & Kuhlmann 2007, Michez et al. 2007). The shape of the female pygidial plate is also diagnostic for many species, what is notably unusual in Melittidae s.l..
Recent cladistic analyses confirm the monophyly of the genus Capicola (Michez & Kuhlmann 2007, Michez et al. 2007). They do not support the former subdivision of Capicola into two subgenera C. (Capicoloides) and C. (Capicola) proposed by Michener (1981). The large species group designated as Capicola s.str. is likely not monophyletic. The five species originally included in the latter taxon (C. braunsiana, C. cinctiventris (= C. flavitarsis), C. flavitarsis, C. nanula, C. rufiventris) are associated in two distinct clades.
At a higher taxonomic level, the former results lead to acknowledge seven subgenera (all nearctic) within Hesperapis namely: Amblyapis Cockerell 1910, Carinapis Stage 1981, Disparapis Stage 1981, Hesperapis s.str., Panurgomia Viereck 1909, Xeralictoides Stage 1981 and Zacesta Ashmead 1899. Moreover, the Dasypodaini would then include four genera: Capicola, Dasypoda, Eremaphanta and Hesperapis. The phylogenetic relationships among these genera need to be re-evaluated through a global analysis. Interesting preliminary clues on the result of such analysis were suggested by Engel (2005) who grouped Capicola, Hesperapis and Eremaphanta within the subtribe Hesperapina. Several of observations give us additional insights supporting this proposal, notably in the C. flavicara morphology (flatness of the female’s pygidial plate and the shape of the head).
The distribution of Capicola is restricted to southwestern Africa. The centre of endemism is clearly in the Western Cape Province’s Succulent and Nama Karoo biomes, which have the world’s highest floral diversity. The distributions of several species extend northward into Namibia and eastward in the Eastern Cape Province. The Namibian endemic species C. micheneri is the only Capicola recorded outside this area.