bee diversity and basic ecology
TRANSCRIPT
Photo: Mace Vaughan
BeeDiversityandBasicEcology
Photo: Rollin Colville
BeeCommonCharacteris6cs• Pollenandnectarmakeup100%of
diet(habitat!)• Ac;velygatherpollentofeedoff-
spring(pollina;on!)
BeeDiversityandEcology
BeeDiversityandEcologySweatbees
Flowers
Pollenspecialist Pollengeneralist
Melissodesden*culataIronweed
SvastraobliquaAsteraceae
MelissodesagilisSunflowers
ChelostomaphiladelphiMockorange
AndrenacarliniSpringflowers
Na6veBeeNes6ngCharacteris6cs
Photos:JenniferHopwood(Xerces),EricLee-Mader(Xerces),EileenMiller,MJHaOield,BruceNewhouse
SolitaryGregariousCommunalSemi-SocialSocial
Na6veBeeNes6ngCharacteris6cs
Photos:MaThewShepherd(Xerces),EricLee-Mader(Xerces),SACameron
Bumblebees• social
Tunnel-nes6ngbees• Primarilysolitary
Ground-nes6ngbees• Primarilysolitary
Na6veBeeNes6ngCharacteris6cs
Photos::JimCane,MaThewShepherd(Xerces),andJenniferHopwood(Xerces)
70%ofna6vebeesnestunderground• Resembleant-nestsabove-ground• Intricatechambersbelow• Preferbareorsemi-bare,losesoil
Na6veBeeNes6ngCharacteris6cs
Photos::JimCane,MaThewShepherd(Xerces),andDennisBriggs
70%ofna6vebeesnestunderground• Manynestchambersarelinedwith
waxyglandularsecre;ons• NestsoXenresistflooding(Nomia)• Providenes;nghabitatbycrea;ng
orconservingbareorsemi-bareundisturbedsoil
Na6veBeeNes6ngCharacteris6cs
Photos:EdwardRoss,DarrinO’Brien,MaThewShepherd(Xerces)
~30%ofna6vebeesnestincavi6es• Holloworpithyplantstems,old
beetleborerholes,man-madecavi;es,snailshells…
• Usemud,leafpieces,orsawdustinconstruc;onoftheirnest
• Providenes;nghabitatbyconservingsnagsandbrushpilesandbyplan;ngpithy-stemmedplants.
ManagedTunnel-Nes6ngBees
Photos:EricLee-Mader(Xerces)
Managedcavity-nes6ngbees:• Masonbees(Osmialignaria)• LeafcuTerbees(Megachilerotundata)
Photos: Dennis Briggs
Life Cycle of a Solitary Bee
Mining bee (Andrena sp.): a year in its underground nest as egg, larva, and pupa before emerging to spend a few weeks as an adult.
• 45SpeciesinUS• Bumblebeesnestinexis;ngcavi;es
suchasoldrodentholes,inovergrownareas,orunderbrushpiles.
• Providenes;nghabitatbyplan;ngbunchgrassesandlowgrowingshrubsorbycrea;ngbrushpiles.
Na6veBeeNes6ngCharacteris6cs
Photos:MaceVaughan,NancyLeeAdamson,EdwardRoss
BumbleBees:ExcellentCropPollinators
Photos:EricLee-Mader(Xerces),SteveJavorek(AgCanada)
Bumblebeesbuzzpollinate• Clover,tomato,pepper,etc.• Moreefficientthanhoney
beesforblueberry,cranberry,melons,etc.
Ac;veincool,wet,andwindyweather
Life Cycle of a Bumble Bee Colony Winter: Hibernating queen
Spring: Queen establishes nest and lays eggs
Summer: Colony peak
Early Fall: Males leave nest, then new queens leave to find a mate
Fall: Mated queens seek overwintering sites, founding queen dies
Illustration: David Wysotski
Early Summer: Worker females help grow the colony
© Bruce Newhouse Photo: Rollin Coville
Photo: Adam Varenhorst Photo: Adam Varenhorst
RecognizingBeeLook-Alikes
Fliesvs.Bees
RecognizingBeeLook-Alikes:Flies
2wings
Usuallynotveryhairy
Largebulgingeyesnearfrontofhead
Short,thickantennae
LiTleornopollen,skinnylegs
Waspsvs.Bees
LiTleornopollen
Notveryhairy 4wings(some;mesfolded)
ColoredpaTernsonexoskeleton
Looktough:narrowerbodies,pinchedabdomen
RecognizingBeeLook-Alikes:Wasps
Bees
KeyCharacteris6csofBees
Rounderbodies
4wings
Femalescarrylargeloadsofpollen
Eyesatsidesofhead
Arehairy(usually)
Longantenna
Important:HoneyBeevs.Na6veBee
Photo: Sarah Greenleaf
Photo: Rollin Coville
Europeanhoneybee(Apis mellifera) • Mosthoneybeecome
frommanagedhives• Honeybeenumbers
dependontheloca;onofhoneybeehivesnearby
• Wild/na;vebeenumbersgiveinforma;onaboutthequalityofthehabitat
HoneyBeevs.Na6veBee
KeyCharacteris6csofBees:Pollen
Where?WetorDry?
Medium size
KeyCharacteris6csofHoneyBees
Orange-brown stripes, variable
Females carry moist pollen mass on hind legs (pollen basket or corbicula)
Torpedo-shaped,stripedabdomen Hairy thorax
Photos:DougWalsh,BobHammond,MaceVaughan,EricLee-Mader,NancyLeeAdamson
BeeDiversityandEcology
3,600DifferentSpeciesofBeesNa6vetoUnitedSates.
BeeDiversityandEcology
Photos: David Cappaert; Mace Vaughan; Rollin Coville; Edward S. Ross
Honeybee(non-na;ve)