bee diversity and basic ecology

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)