Entomology Commons^™

Beginner's Guide To Common Native Bees, Cody Zesiger, Elizabeth Cohen, Hannah Jarvis, Lori R. Spears, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

Utah is a superb place for beginning bee enthusiasts. Over 1,000 species of native bees exist in Utah (Cane, 2015). Southern Utah alone has approximately the same number of bee species as the entire eastern U.S. coast. There are many reasons for appreciating bees and encouraging their presence in the landscape. Specifically, bees are key to a sustainable environment as they are essential pollinators of food and fiber crops. Bees can also be appreciated for their striking diversity in color and size. This fact sheet highlights the different bee species that you may see in Utah.

Insect Floral Visitors Of Red Maple And Tree-Of-Heaven At Potential Risk Of Neonicotinoid Residue Exposure From Spotted Lanternfly Control, Jonathan Elmquist, Kelli Hoover, David Biddinger

The Great Lakes Entomologist

To manage spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula (White)), an invasive planthopper recently introduced to the United States, governmental agencies, homeowners, and landscape professionals may treat its host plants with systemic neonicotinoid insecticides. Neonicotinoids can be harmful to non-target insect floral visitors collecting pollen or nectar. The insect floral visitors of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) or tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.), which are two of the preferred hosts of L. delicatula in Pennsylvania, are often targeted with neonicotinoid applications for control of this pest. To identify the floral visitors of these tree species, we conducted observations and collections of …

Making And Managing Wild Bee Hotels, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears, Sheriden M. Hansen, Andree' Walker Bravo, Ricardo Ramirez, Jaydee Gunnell

All Current Publications

Bee hotels (also called "bee boxes" and "bee blocks") are popular additions to Utah backyards and commercial agriculture alike, adding nesting habitat to aid local pollination efforts and address native pollinator declines. This fact sheet provides information about the construction, placement, and maintenance of bee hotels. It also addresses monitoring of bee enemies.

Descripción De Dos Especies Nuevas De Mesoplia Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae) Para Cuba Y Las Bahamas, Con Notas Sobre Taxonomía Y Distribución Del Género En Las Antillas, Julio A. Genaro, Dayron Breto

Insecta Mundi

Se describen e ilustran dos especies nuevas de Mesoplia Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Api­dae) para las Antillas: M. bahamensis Genaro y Breto, nueva especie, conocida solamente del cayo Castaway, Las Bahamas y M. cubensis Genaro y Breto, nueva especie, bien distribuida en toda Cuba e Isla de La Juven­tud. Mesoplia cubensis nueva especie fue una especie multivoltina, que se relacionó con el área de nidos de especies de Centris Fabricius (Apidae), su posible hospedero. Se presentan las características taxonómicas diferenciales y la distribución de las otras cuatro especies antillanas conocidas: Mesoplia sp., no descrita, M. azurea (Lepeletier y Serville), …

Developing Regional Extension Programs And Research Tools For Beekeepers, Sheldon Brummel

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The body of work presented in this thesis describes the development and structure of the Regional Great Plains Master Beekeeping training program, which started in 2019, serves 1500+ beekeepers across five Midwest states (IA, KS, MO, NE, WY), and is supported through local partnerships and beekeepers. This chapter also discusses the leadership structure and aspects I developed for program advancement and long-term sustainability, such as incorporating mentorship and volunteer service goals as well as requiring independent projects to become a certified Master beekeeper. Independent projects may focus on research or teaching goals but must illustrate the candidate’s ability to apply …

Factors Contributing To Bee Decline, Ann Mull, Jaydee Gunnell, Sheriden M. Hansen, Ricardo Ramirez, Andree' Walker Bravo, Cody Zesiger, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Bees provide an important ecosystem service by contributing to the pollination of crop and wild plant species. Many factors have been attributed to bee declines, including habitat loss, improper apiary management, pesticide usage, climate change, pests and pathogens, competition among native and introduced bee species, poor nutrition, and other factors (Koh et al., 2016; Goulson et al., 2015; Graves et al., 2020; Soroye et al., 2020). Acting together, these factors intensify the pressure for survival beyond the adaptability of many species. This fact sheet reviews the factors contributing to decline in bee populations and what can be done to protect …

Effects Of Drought On Habitat Quality For Native Bees In Residential Gardens Of Claremont, Ca, Max Proctor

CMC Senior Theses

Over 1,500 of the 4000 bee species found in North America inhabit California. Native bees are declining however, largely due to climate change and agricultural intensification. Previous research shows that cities can sustain diverse bee communities, due to the diversity of ornamental flowers. Urban green space represents an opportunity for native bee conservation. Residential gardens provide lots of green space and are urban pollinator hotspots. Managing yards for increased floral resources and nesting habitat can benefit native bee communities. Turfgrass provides few floral or nesting resources and negatively correlates with bee diversity. The 2011-2017 California drought caused many homeowners to …

Editorial: Invertebrate Neuroscience: Contributions From Model And Non-Model Species, Maria P. Fernandez, Clare C. Rittschof, Jimena A. Sierralta

Entomology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Establishment Of Pollinator Habitat Within A Livestock Pasture Ecosystem, Roshani Sharma Acharya

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pollinators are important for fertilization, setting fruits, and seed development of more than 78% of the flowering plants that provide food for human beings and other species. Use of pollinators to maximize crop production is a proven agricultural practice; however, it has been less explored in livestock forage production systems. This study investigated pollinator abundance and diversity in pastures using different sampling methods and determined the impact of different pasture management practices on insect pollinators in a livestock pasture ecosystem. In Chapter 2, utility of four different colors of pan trap (blue, green, yellow, and purple) for sampling bees in …

Especies Nuevas De Lasioglossum Curtis De Las Altas Montañas De Las Antillas Mayores Y Estado Actual Del Conocimiento Del Taxon Habralictellus Moure Y Hurd (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Julio A. Genaro

Insecta Mundi

Resumen. Se describen para las Antillas cuatro especies nuevas de Lasioglossum Curtis pertenecientes al taxon Habralictellus Moure y Hurd (Hymenoptera: Halictidae): Lasioglossum (Habralictellus) cuba, Lasio­glossum (Habralictellus) darlingtoni, Lasioglossum (Habralictellus) jagibbsi y Lasioglossum (Habralictellus) laupackeri. Se utiliza como subgénero para mantener la estabilidad taxonómica. Se presenta la historia y el estado actual del conocimiento de Habralictellus, que aún no ha encontrado un lugar justificado y aceptado, al unísono por los especialistas, en la nomenclatura zoológica. Se ofrece un listado de las especies conocidas, sexo y distribución.

Abstract. Four new species of Lasioglossum …

First Records Of Megachile Apicalis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) For Illinois Found In Heavily Urbanized Areas Within The City Of Chicago, Andrea M. Gruver, Paul J. Caradonna

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We provide the first record of the non-native Megachile apicalis Spinola (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Illinois. Thirty Megachile apicalis specimens were collected in the summer of 2018 in a highly urban area of Chicago, IL, USA. Our findings suggest that the range of Megachile apicalis appears to be rapidly expanding across North America, inward from both the East and Western Coasts. Megachile apicalis in Chicago has a broad activity period, can take advantage of abundant non-native floral food resources, and has competitive nesting behavior, all of which may facilitate its successful establishment in disturbed urban environments, as well as its continued …

Suitability Of Native Milkweed (Asclepias) Species Versus Cultivars For Supporting Monarch Butterflies And Bees In Urban Gardens, Adam M. Baker, Carl T. Redmond, Stephen B. Malcolm, Daniel A. Potter

Entomology Faculty Publications

Public interest in ecological landscaping and gardening is fueling a robust market for native plants. Most plants available to consumers through the horticulture trade are cultivated forms that have been selected for modified flowers or foliage, compactness, or other ornamental characteristics. Depending on their traits, some native plant cultivars seem to support pollinators, specialist insect folivores, and insect-based vertebrate food webs as effectively as native plant species, whereas others do not. There is particular need for information on whether native cultivars can be as effective as true or “wild-type” native species for supporting specialist native insects of conservation concern. Herein …

The Importance Of Surface Mining As A Landscape Variable In Shaping Wild Bee Communities In Central Appalachian Forests, Amanda Sheryl Dunaway

Online Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic disturbance has led to widespread losses in biodiversity. Native bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) provide essential pollination services and have been declining in abundance dramatically in recent years. One potential cause of these declines is anthropogenic disturbance. Eleven sites were established in Southeastern Kentucky, U.S.A. where surface mining for coal is common. Data was analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effect models to detect the most important landscape scale variables, including mining, in shaping bee communities. Bee species richness was significantly lower on sites that contained surface mines, but abundance was similar between mined and unmined sites. The proportion of each nesting group …

Upper Thermal Limits Vary Among And Within Native Bee Species In Relation To Season, Voltinism, And Nest Type, Kálmán K. Csigi Xiv

Theses and Dissertations

Native bees are only recently gaining attention for the extent to which they aid in pollination and ecosystem services. These services are threatened by predictions of warming temperatures if bees are not able to respond. Voltinism - the number of generations produced annually- can strongly influence thermal conditions experienced by both developing and adult bees based on emergence strategies for each voltinism type. Differences in experienced thermal conditions brought on by climate change could therefore affect upper thermal limits (UTL) in bees. This study observes UTLs across a foraging season within and among native bee species vi to elucidate the …

Host-Plant Specialization And Nesting Biology Of Anthidium Placitum (Megachilidae) In Northwest California, Christopher Pow

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Premise of the study: Although the study of bees and their pollination services has grown immensely in recent years, the natural history of most solitary bee species is still largely unknown. The goal of this study was to contribute to the natural history dossier of a late-season wool carder bee, Anthidium placitum Cresson (Megachilidae), by establishing which plants it uses as sources of nectar and pollen as well as documenting details of its flower-handling behavior, mating behavior, and nesting biology in northwestern California.

• Methods: Field observations were made at five sites in Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties. …

Phylogeny And Population Genetic Analyses Reveals Cryptic Speciation In The Bombus Fervidus Species Complex (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Jonathan B. Koch, Juanita Rodriguez, James P. Pitts, James P. Strange

Ecology Center Publications

Bumble bees (Bombus Latrielle) are significant pollinators of flowering plants due to their large body size, abundant setae, and generalist foraging strategies. However, shared setal coloration patterns among closely and distantly related bumble bee species makes identification notoriously difficult. The advent of molecular genetic techniques has increased our understanding of bumble bee evolution and taxonomy, and enables effective conservation policy and management. Individuals belonging to the North American Bombus fervidus species-complex (SC) are homogenous in body structure but exhibit significant body color phenotype variation across their geographic distribution. Given the uncertainty of the genealogical boundaries within the SC, some …

South American Leaf-Cutter Bees (Genus Megachile) Of The Subgenera Rhyssomegachile And Zonomegachile, With Two New Subgenera (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Víctor H. González, Terry Griswold, Michael S. Engel

All PIRU Publications

Leaf-cutter bees (genus Megachile Latreille) are among the most common and diverse group of bees. However, the identity and taxonomic placement of many species are problematic and species identification is often difficult. Some species are known only from a single specimen or from one of the sexes, and identification keys are not available for many groups. We address these taxonomic issues for the subgenera Rhyssomegachile Mitchell and Zonomegachile Mitchell, two poorly known South American lineages of leaf-cutter bees. We provide comparative diagnoses, redescriptions, illustrated identification keys, new geographical records, and designate needed neotypes for Megachile cara Mitchell, M. gigas Schrottky, …

The History Of Bees By Maja Lunde, Kirsten Schuhmacher

The Goose

Book review of Maja Lunde's The History of Bees.

The Effect Of Imidacloprid On Honey Bee Queen Fecundity, Jamilyn Martin, Julia D. Fine, Amy Cash-Ahmed, Gene E. Robinson

PRECS 2018

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide commonly used in agricultural settings to control insect pests by acting as an agonist of acetylcholine receptors and inducing paralysis and mortality. In small doses, imidacloprid can cause loss of memory and foraging ability along with impaired learning and a lowered immune response in western honey bees (Apis mellifera). Effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on colony reproduction have been documented including decreased colony expansion, queen failure and replacement, and decreased queen egg laying.

For this study, we examined the effects of imidacloprid on the fecundity of queen bees when their worker attendants were exposed to low …

Context-Dependent Medicinal Effects Of Anabasine And Infection-Dependent Toxicity In Bumble Bees, Evan C. Palmer-Young, Alison Hogeboom, Alexander J. Kaye, Dash Donnelly, Jonathan Andicoechea, Sara June Connon, Ian Weston, Kimberly Skyrm, Rebecca E. Irwin, Lynn S. Adler

Biology Department Faculty Publication Series

Background

Floral phytochemicals are ubiquitous in nature, and can function both as antimicrobials and as insecticides. Although many phytochemicals act as toxins and deterrents to consumers, the same chemicals may counteract disease and be preferred by infected individuals. The roles of nectar and pollen phytochemicals in pollinator ecology and conservation are complex, with evidence for both toxicity and medicinal effects against parasites. However, it remains unclear how consistent the effects of phytochemicals are across different parasite lineages and environmental conditions, and whether pollinators actively self-medicate with these compounds when infected.

Approach

Here, we test effects of the nectar alkaloid anabasine, …

The Effects Of Forest Age And Management On Bee Communities Of Production Forests In The Southern United States, Robinson Sudan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Processes structuring bee communities in agricultural landscapes are well-documented compared to those in other anthropogenic landscapes, like production forests. Forests across the temperate zone have historically been under-sampled, in part due to the perception that they provide little habitat to support diverse bee communities. While research suggests that early successional habitats support high levels of bee species richness and abundance, little empirical evidence exists to support the notion that forests, in turn, do not. To understand the relationship between forest successional age and major elements of the bee community, I sampled bees in a southern production pine forest in Hancock …

Export Of Insect Ecosystem Services From Hayed Native Prairie, Wayne J. Ohnesorg

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Natural areas, such as prairie, have the potential to provide the benefits of pest suppression and pollination for agricultural production. In Nebraska, prairie is often used for hay production. The impact of prairie hay production management practices on beneficial arthropods is not well understood. Four prairie hay meadows adjacent to row crop fields were selected in northeast Nebraska. The goal was to assess the impact of haying them on beneficial arthropods and the movement of natural enemies into adjacent crop fields. Three management practices were evaluated for hay harvested from prairie meadows one cut per growing season, two cuts per …

Population Genetics, Distributions And Phenology Of Bombus Latreille, 1802 And Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Amber Dawn Tripodi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work addresses multiple knowledge gaps in bee ecology, population health and phylogeography in order to provide insights into the changing distributions of native bees. A comparison of Arkansas bumble bee records mirrors range-wide surveys, with records of stable species (Bombus bimaculatus Cresson, 1863 and B. impatiens Cresson, 1863) increasing three-fold, and records of the declining B. pensylvanicus (DeGeer, 1773) dropping to 60% of historical levels. However, nationally-recommended conservation-genetics tools did not mirror these results on a regional level. Stable and declining species had equivalent genetic diversity in samples from Arkansas and Tennessee (H_S range: 0.46-0.63). Diploid males, …

Understanding How Honey Bee Flight And Senescence Are Connected Through Oxidative Stress., Joseph Margotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this dissertation was to exploit the tractability of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to understand how the physiological and cellular mechanisms that determine the onset and duration of senescence are shaped by behavioral development and behavioral intensity. These data reveal how behavior can damage cells and consequently limit lifespan. The honey bee represents the ideal model to address these factors because age, behavior, functional senescence, and lifespan are easily manipulated independently of each other while in its natural environment. I determined if there was a cause-effect relationship between honey bee flight and oxidative stress by comparing damage …

Corpse Management In Social Insects, Qian Sun, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

Undertaking behavior is an essential adaptation to social life that is critical for colony hygiene in enclosed nests. Social insects dispose of dead individuals in various fashions to prevent further contact between corpses and living members in a colony. Focusing on three groups of eusocial insects (bees, ants, and termites) in two phylogenetically distant orders (Hymenoptera and Isoptera), we review mechanisms of death recognition, convergent and divergent behavioral responses toward dead individuals, and undertaking task allocation from the perspective of division of labor. Distinctly different solutions (e.g., corpse removal, burial and cannibalism) have evolved, independently, in the holometabolous hymenopterans and …

Quantification Of Pollinating Insects Of The Superfamily Apoidea In Three Ecological Niches Of Three Communities In The Municipality Of Coroico-Nor Yungas, Department Of La Paz, Óscar Jaime Claros Sossa

Theses and Dissertations

The superfamily Apoidea (commonly referred to as bees), are insects whose diet consists of the nectar and pollen from flowering plants. Therefore, they are essential pollinators of many species, both wild and cultivated.
Bees are similar to other Hymenoptera in appearance, size, and color variety. The superfamily Apoidea contains 17,000 known species and could possibly contain up to 30,000. Bees perform many tasks that benefit humanity such as pollinating the flowers of both wild and cultivated plants. Without this work, fruits and seeds necessary for the survival of different species, for our own food supply, and for industry would not …

Tb191: Conservation And Management Of Native Bees In Cranberry, Jennifer L. Loose, Francis A. Drummond, Constance Stubbs, Stephen Woods

Technical Bulletins

Threats to agriculturally important pollinators have serious implications for human beings. A loss of bees translates to less successful crop pollination, thus reduced yield and poorer quality fruits. Native bees have the potential to serve as commercial pollinators. A diverse pollinator complex comprised of both honey bees and native bees should result in stable pollination levels and should be resistant to threats such as disease, fluctuating honey and crop prices, and honey bee transportation costs. Adding the goal of native bee conservation to land management increases the ecological integrity of an ecosystem by conserving a unique biological interaction that is …

Effects Of Flight Behaviour On Body Temperature And Kinematics During Inter-Male Mate Competition In The Solitary Desert Bee Centris Pallida, Stephen P. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Body Temperatures and Kinematics Are Measured for Male Centris Pallida Bees Engaged in a Variety of Flight Behaviors (Hovering, Patrolling, Pursuit) at a Nest Aggregation Site in the Sonoran Desert. the Aim of the Study is to Test for Evidence of Thermoregulatory Variation in Convective Heat Loss and Metabolic Heat Production and to Assess the Mechanisms of Acceleration and Forward Flight in Field Conditions. Patrolling Males Have Slightly (1-3°C) Cooler Body Temperatures Than Hoverers, Despite Similar Wingbeat Frequencies and Larger Body Masses, suggesting that Convective Heat Loss is Likely to Be Greater during Patrolling Flight Than during Hovering. Comparisons of …

Tb148: Alternative Forage Plants For Native (Wild) Bees Associated With Lowbush Blueberry, Vaccinium Spp., In Maine, C. S. Stubbs, H. A. Jacobson, E. A. Osgood, F. A. Drummond

Technical Bulletins

To determine potentially suitable alternative food sources for important native bee pollinators of blueberry, the primary objectives of the present research were (1) to compile the published North American nectar, pollen, and flower records; (2) to analyze the pollen loads of native bees associated with Vaccinium spp. in Maine; and (3) to survey distribution and abundance patterns of native bee populations in Maine blueberry fields.

New Species Of North American Bees Of The Genus Dufourea (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) With Descriptions Of Two Previously Undescribed Females, George E. Bohart

All PIRU Publications

Thirteen new species of halictid bees in the genus Dufourea are described. Also described are females of two species known previously only from males. All are from the Western United States and northern Mexico.