Life Sciences Commons^™

The Biogeography And Nesting Biology Of Anthophora, With A Revision And Phylogeny Of The Anthophora (Micranthophora), Michael C. Orr

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bees are necessary pollinators for a vast array of different plants, including many which we rely on for food. In order to grow sufficient crops to feed the world’s growing population, we need to make sure our crops are visited by the most effective possible pollinators. However, this is complicated by the fact that there are over 4,000 bee species in North America, many of which vary in their pollination effectiveness and are difficult to identify. My dissertation’s first two data chapters focus on classifying the species of the xeric solitary bee group Anthophora subgenus Micranthophora, including seven newly …