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Community‐wide assembly of plant–pollinator systems depends on an intricate combination of biotic and abiotic factors, including heterogeneity among pollinators in thermal biology and responses to abiotic factors. Studies on the thermal biology of pollinators have mostly considered only one or a few species of plants or pollinators at a time, and the possible driving role of the diversity in thermal biology of pollinator asemblages at the plant community level remains largely unexplored. More specifically, it is unknown whether diversity in the thermal biology of bees, a major pollinator group worldwide, contributes to the assembly and maintenance of diverse bee communities; broadens the spectrum of possibilities available to bee‐pollinated plants; facilitates interspecific partitioning of ecological gradients across habitats, seasons, and time of day; and/or enhance plant pollination success through complementarity effects. The objectives of this study were to assess the diversity in thermal biology of the bee assemblage that pollinates plants in a Mediterranean montane area, evaluate its taxonomic and phylogenetic underpinnings, and elucidate whether there existed seasonal, daily, between‐habitat, or floral visitation correlates of bee thermal biology which could contribute to partition ecological gradients among plant and bee species. Thermal biology parameters were obtained in the laboratory (K, intrinsic warming constant) and the field (thoracic and ambient temperature at foraging site, Tth and Tair) on individual bees of a diverse sample (N = 204 bee species) comprising most bee pollinators of the regional plant community. Species‐specific thermal biology parameters were combined with quantitative field data on bee pollinators and flower visitation for the regional community of entomophilous plants (N = 292 plant species). Results revealed that the regional bee assemblage harbored considerable diversity in thermal biology features; that such diversity was mostly taxonomically, phylogenetically, and body‐size structured; and that the broad interspecific heterogeneity in thermal biology represented in the bee community as a whole eventually translated into daily, seasonal, among‐habitat, and flower visitation patterns at the plant community level. This lends support to the hypothesis that broad diversity in thermal biology of bees can enhance opportunities for bee coexistence, spatiotemporal partitioning of floral resources, and plant pollination success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of visit of pollinator insect(Chalicodoma cincta) on the production of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, Rose variety), were studied at Sarh in September 2021 and 2022. The experiments were made on four treatments. The activity behavior of Chalicodoma cincta on the flower were appreciated to determinate is impact on the yield. Results indicate that among seven insect species recorded on flowers, C. cincta ranked first (31.41%) and harvested nectar. Throughout the importance of the flower visit, this insect provoked a significant increase of the podding rate (30.45 %), the mean number of seeds per pod (22.42 %) and the percentage of normal seeds (32.81%). The conservation and installation of C. cincta nests close the plantation fields is recommended to improve pod production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our insights into the responses of immature stages of vernal solitary bees to the thermal challenges of spring weather mostly come from studies of cavity-nesting megachilid bees in constant temperature incubators. Most of these studies reported either the average timing of adult emergence or the general pace of immature development. In this study, we tracked the longevity and developmental fates of eggs laid by nearly 200 female Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) occupying observation nests set outdoors in a nature preserve. In the spring of 2022, the nesting population was challenged by a prolonged period of unseasonably chilly wet weather. As a consequence, fewer nest cells were provisioned, and hatching among the 2416 eggs was delayed for as much as a month. Surprisingly, these delays incurred no ill-effects on either egg survival or subsequent larval development, both of which were comparable to the much warmer spring of 2021 (3630 eggs). The population’s 33% reproductive shortfall in 2022 was instead attributable to limited hours warm enough for flight and foraging, in part evidenced by the paucity of multi-cell days. Eggs and larvae of this bee, and probably other vernal solitary bees, readily tolerate prolonged episodes of cold springtime weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Managed populations of the alfalfa leafcutting bee (ALCB), Megachile rotundata (F.), are often not sustainable. In addition to numerous mortality factors that contribute to this, the dense bee populations used to maximize alfalfa pollination quickly deplete floral resources available to bees later in the summer. Providing alternative floral resources as alfalfa declines may help to improve ALCB reproduction. Methods: We examined the relationship between floral resource availability and ALCB reproduction and offspring condition via (1) a field study using alfalfa plots with and without late-blooming wildflower strips to supply food beyond alfalfa bloom, and (2) a field-cage study in which we provided bees with alfalfa, wildflowers, or both as food resources. Results: In the field study, bee cell production closely followed alfalfa floral density with an initial peak followed by large declines prior to wildflower bloom. Few bees visited wildflower strips, whose presence or absence was not associated with any measure of bee reproduction. However, we found that female offspring from cells provisioned earlier in the season, when alfalfa predominated as a source of provisions, eclosed with greater body sizes and proportion body lipids relative to total body mass. For bees restricted to cages, the proportion of offspring that survived to adults was highest on pure alfalfa diets. Adding wildflowers to cages with alfalfa did not affect adult offspring production or female offspring body size and lipid content. Furthermore, although similar numbers of adults were produced on wildflowers alone as with alfalfa alone, females eclosed with smaller body sizes and lower proportion body lipids on wildflowers despite the higher protein content we estimated for wildflower pollen. We found no evidence that adding the late-season wildflower species that we chose to plant enhanced ALCB offspring numbers. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple measures of reproductive success, including offspring body size and lipid stores, when designing and evaluating floral resource management strategies for agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, native bee fauna has been observed utilising anthropogenic materials as nesting substrates. Here we report the novel observation of a native solitary cavity-nesting bee, Megachile (Hackeriapis) oblonga (Smith, 1879) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Megachilinae) nesting in man-made, but honey bee drawn waxed frames. This represents a unique indirect interaction between the introduced Apis mellifera and native wild bees and adds to growing evidence of how human activities are altering the behaviour of wild bees, with unknown consequences. Our observations here add to knowledge about the flexibility in nesting habits of wild bees and the potential for bees to adopt novel materials to nest in. This may represent adaptive or maladaptive behaviour; it remains to be determined whether humans are presenting wild bees with an increasing number of "ecological traps" as anthropogenic activities limit the availability of natural nesting substrates in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global pollinator decline has prompted pollinator conservation initiatives. Plant nurseries exploited this opportunity by selling bee-friendly ornamental plants. Studies that analysed flower-pollinator networks questioned the suitability of ornamental plants for bee conservation. We evaluated plant nurseries from the perspective of the leaf-foraging habit of leafcutter bees. Leafcutter bees use leaves to construct brood chambers. We found evidence for leafcutter bees using the leaves of 9% of plant species (n = 238). Bees foraged ornamental and horticultural plant saplings similarly. Plant species preference was driven by plant clade and plant height. The proportion of plant saplings used by bees in the nurseries was associated with plant abundance and the proportion of ornamental plants. Results provide context for new perceptions toward ornamental plants and plant nurseries for pollinator conservation and restoration and ask questions on the ecology and evolution of leafcutter bee–plant interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Xicotli data is the short name given to the dataset generated within the project framework "Integration of Biodiversity Data for the Management and Conservation of Wild Bee-Plant Interactions in Mexico (2021-2023)", as xicotli is the generic word for a bee in Nahuatl. The team comprised eco-informaticians, ecologists and taxonomists of both native bees and flora. The generated dataset contains so far 4,532 curated records of the plants, which are potential hosts of species of three focal families of bees native to Mexico: Apidae, Halictidae and Megachilidae and morphological and ecological data of the plant-bee interactions. This dataset was integrated and mobilised from citizen observations available at naturalista.mx (iNat), which were compiled through the iNaturalist project. New information: The new information obtained with the Xicotli data project was: 1. Taxonomic information about bee species curated by taxonomists based on the information contained in iNaturalist; 2. Taxonomic identification of the host plants by a botanist from the photos compiled by the Xicotli Data project; 3. Data on the ecomorphological traits of bees and plants based on expert knowledge and literature. All the data were integrated into the Xicotli Data Project via the creation of new "observation fields". The visibility of the information originally contained in iNaturalist was maximized and can be consulted directly on the iNaturalist platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production is highly dependent on pollination services provided by insects; 75% of the leading global food crops need animals for successful production. Pollinators, including managed and wild bees, are declining in many parts of the world. The loss of natural habitats providing nesting sites is considered as one of the main factors driving the decline of crop-visiting wild bees. The researchers had hypothesized that providing bee hotels in cherry orchards may be a useful strategy to support visitors of cherry flowers (Prunus avium). To test this hypothesis, observation was made on the attractiveness of bee hotels to wild bees in cherry orchards in Sefrou Province (Morocco). Bee hotels were installed at the border of two cherry orchards. Surrounding landscapes were described and pollinator communities were observed and sampled within bee hotels, cherry flowers, and also within the surrounding landscape. Bumblebees (Bombus spp.), Mason bees (Osmia spp.), sand bees (Andrena spp.), and sweat bees (Lasioglossum spp.) are the most abundant genera representing almost two-thirds of all wild bee visitors of cherry trees. Mason bees (Osmia spp.) are the most abundant bees nesting in bee hotels with almost three-quarters of all insects recorded. Bee hotels could therefore be used to sustain or even increase cavity-nesting bees visiting cherry orchards in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With urbanisation leading to loss of nesting resources, and increasing public interest in helping bees, bee hotels (trap-nests) are becoming popularised. However, their success is relatively understudied. The influence of habitat type in determining occupancy and emergence is also poorly known. Over two years across 7 bushland remnant and 7 residential garden sites, trap-nests were installed and completed nests collected monthly over spring-summer. Bees appeared to take a month to find the trap-nests, irrespective of month they were installed. A small percentage (13% and 6% in the two years) of tubes were occupied, but this was within the range of other trap-nesting studies. Smaller 4 and 7 mm diameter nests had a higher occupancy rate than 10 mm diameter tubes. An impressive number − 24 bee species – occupied the trap-nests. Representation however was dominated by five species. The species composition (species and their relative abundances) of cavity-nesting bees differed greatly between those using the trap-nests compared with those observed in the field. Bushland remnants tended to have more bee hotels occupied, and male body size of emerged bees was larger in this habitat. Unexpectedly native and total flower diversity reduced bee hotel occupancy, whereas native flower parameters tended to positively influence bee fitness. Overall installing bee hotels can provide additional nesting resources for native bees in urbanised areas, and providing high proportions of native flora in the vicinity should enhance fitness of the bees using them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand insect learning ability, demonstration of learning through conditioning is an effective research tool. Conditioning in social bees takes advantage of the proboscis extension reflex (PER) as a response to an unconditioned stimulus (US) (e.g., sucrose solution). The US is then associated with a conditioned stimulus (CS) (e.g., an odor) to elicit PER. However, solitary bees do not readily exhibit a PER when restrained and then prodded with an offering of sucrose. Managed solitary bees can be maintained in laboratory benchtop cages where they discover and feed from wicks soaked with aqueous sugar or honey. We sought to devise a protocol that demonstrates learning through simple conditioning for two managed solitary bees, Osmia lignaria and Megachile rotundata by exploiting their ability to locate a small feeder and reflexively extend the proboscis to retrieve a sucrose reward (US). In this study, the rewarded feeder was paired with a floral odor (CS) during training bouts. Newly emerged adult bees began training on the day of their emergence, continued training for another day, and were tested on the next day using a choice bioassay that revealed whether bees had learned the CS. The conditioning assay was effective for both bee species and sexes as revealed by proboscis extension towards material dosed with the reward-associated training odor. The ability to condition solitary bees could support important studies that address questions related to bee preferences for nesting and floral resources and for effects of pesticides or other stressors on learning and memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new additions to the known bee fauna are reported for Mexico and nine new records for the state of Veracruz. The importance of urban areas with native vegetation as resources for bee populations is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the species diversity of leaf-cutter and resin bees from three tribes, four genera, and seven subgenera of the family Megachilidae from Central India. Before this study, only a few species were known from Central India. During the surveys undertaken in 2019-2022, 10 species, including two cleptoparasitic bee species of the family Megachilidae, were collected and examined. Megachile lanata Fab. was the predominant species in all the survey locations. Seven species were discovered for the first time in Central India. This paper provides details of the Megachilidae species with an updated distribution and brief diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced, managed bees such as mason bees (genus Osmia) can confer significant pollination benefits to agricultural systems, but a risk of introducing non‐native species into new ecosystems is the co‐introduction of pathogens along with them. Pathogen spillover to wild, native bees may then drive native bee species declines.This study examined prevalence of the chalkbrood‐causing fungal genus Ascosphaera in the nests of both non‐native and native mason bee species. We conducted large‐scale trap‐nesting and pan‐trapping efforts across the Mid‐Atlantic United States with community scientists. Using molecular methods, nests were screened for all known Ascosphaera species in which genetic sequences have been published. After finding Ascosphaera species first described in Asia, we compared their local prevalence with the local abundance of mason bees from Asia. Lastly, we compared the prevalence of co‐introduced Ascosphaera species across sites with a variety of landcover profiles.Results indicate species originally described in Japan, Ascosphaera naganensis and Ascosphaera fusiformis, are now present in native Virginia mason bees, Osmia lignaria and Osmia georgica, with high prevalence of A. naganensis found in O. georgica.We also found that the declining native mason bee O. georgica experienced higher prevalence of non‐native Ascosphaera spp. at sites with larger numbers of non‐native O. cornifrons and O. taurus, perhaps indicating greater likelihood of spillover of these Ascosphaera species with greater sources of transmission. Lastly, when the proportion of agricultural landcover surrounding bee nests was high, there was greater prevalence of non‐native Ascosphaera in O. georgica compared to more natural landcover types.Synthesis and applications. Through community science programming, we documented species of Japanese chalkbrood fungi inside native mason bee nests in North America. Native mason bees encounter non‐native fungi more frequently with increasing abundance of non‐native mason bees. Agricultural landscapes may exacerbate spillover of non‐native fungi for native mason bees. Any use of non‐native bee species in agriculture should involve monitoring native bees for pathogens in the surrounding area for detection of spillover and species declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral resources are crucial for wild pollinators. Identifying the spatio-temporal floral resource use of wild pollinators and effects of resource distribution on their development might help to promote them and their pollination services to crops in agricultural landscapes.We established populations of Osmia cornuta and Osmia bicornis, two solitary wild bees, in 24 agricultural landscapes with varying floral resource availability. Based on their pollen use, we mapped the landscape-scale distribution of the visited plants, estimated pooled specific floral resource availabilities and measured its effects on reproductive output.Woody semi-natural habitats such as hedgerows provided the majority of pollen sources for both Osmia species. Pollen use differed strongly between the two species. The offspring of both Osmia increased with availability of pooled specific pollen resources. In accordance with their preferred pollen types, offspring of O. cornuta increased with increasing cover of trees and shrubs of the Rosaceae family, and that of O. bicornis with increasing cover of Papaver rhoeas, Ranunculus acris and Quercus spp. as well as with the proximity to oilseed rape. In spite of their specific responses to pollen resources, the offspring of both species decreased with the distance to forest. The floral resource availability did not significantly affect the proportion of adult females and the weight of the offspring. As forest does not appear to be a main foraging habitat for both species, the benefit of forest proximity indicates an additional role of forest in addition to food availability.Specific flowering plants and forests should thus be conserved and enhanced to maintain and support O. cornuta, O. bicornis and likely other wild bee populations in agricultural landscapes. The combined information of land cover and detailed floral resource availability gives a deeper understanding into population processes in agricultural landscapes.

IntroductionThe blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria, is a widespread North American native pollinator that can be employed for commercial fruit and nut crop production. The largest supplies of these bees are collected in the wildlands ssssof Utah and Washington, United States. How O. lignaria from different geographic regions respond to current recommended management practices or translocation to novel environments is not fully understood.MethodsUtah- and Washington-originated O. lignaria were reared in laboratory incubators under two thermal regimens: (1) constant temperatures used to manage bees through immature development, adult winter dormancy, and for spring emergence, and (2) hourly fluctuating temperatures programmed to mimic the natural daily (24 h) thermal cycles of the nearest cherry orchard growing region through their life cycles.ResultsIn comparison to rearing bees at orchard temperatures, we found that rearing bees at a constant temperature increased survival and shortened egg–adult development periods. Washington bees were more adversely affected by the consistent warm rearing temperatures than were Utah bees, possibly due to their adaptations to Washington’s relatively moderate climate. At orchard temperatures, Utah bees suffered high prepupal and pupal mortality, while Washington bees suffered high pupal and adult mortality. These late life stages coincided with the hottest maximum temperatures in their respective thermal regimens. Adult females from both states naturally emerged in synchrony with local bloom time, but their emergence period overall was prolonged compared to bees in the constant thermal regimen that were induced to emerge at orchard bloom times.DiscussionOur data support that bees originating from cool montane habitats of different U.S. states suffer from the warmer climatic conditions at lower altitudes of their respective crop-growing regions. A better understanding of optimal management temperatures for O. lignaria from different geographic regions and the effect of bee origin and temperature on survival and development timing is needed for best managing these pollinators when they are translocated or when climate change results in increased temperatures during bee development periods.

Microbes, including diverse bacteria and fungi, play an important role in the health of both solitary and social bees. Among solitary bee species, in which larvae remain in a closed brood cell throughout development, experiments that modified or eliminated the brood cell microbiome through sterilization indicated that microbes contribute substantially to larval nutrition and are in some cases essential for larval development. To better understand how feeding larvae impact the microbial community of their pollen/nectar provisions, we examine the temporal shift in the bacterial community in the presence and absence of actively feeding larvae of the solitary, stem-nesting bee, Osmia cornifrons (Megachilidae). Our results indicate that the O. cornifrons brood cell bacterial community is initially diverse. However, larval solitary bees modify the microbial community of their pollen/nectar provisions over time by suppressing or eliminating rare taxa while favoring bacterial endosymbionts of insects and diverse plant pathogens, perhaps through improved conditions or competitive release. We suspect that the proliferation of opportunistic plant pathogens may improve nutrient availability of developing larvae through degradation of pollen. Thus, the health and development of solitary bees may be interconnected with pollen bacterial diversity and perhaps with the propagation of plant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the most economically important agricultural pollinator in North America, as well as being the most frequently studied bee species. Many agricultural systems, such as fruit tree orchards, benefit from having a diversity of bee species present. In this article, we present information about the types of bees that can be found in orchards and explore their mating behaviors, life cycles, genetic differences, flower preferences, and foraging activities. Many orchard-pollinating bees, including bumble bees (Bombus spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), and mining bees (Andrena spp.), are often less studied than honey bees. All bees encounter threats to their health and behavior while out foraging. The impacts and mitigation of these threats are often better understood in honey bees. This review summarizes the current knowledge of these threats to orchard bees' health, identifies gaps in the knowledge, and discusses potential management and conservation practices. Different species of bees provide essential ecosystem services by pollinating various agricultural crops, including tree fruits. Many fruits and nuts depend on insect pollination, primarily by wild and managed bees. In different geographical regions where orchard crops are grown, fruit growers rely on wild bees in the farmscape and use orchard bees as alternative pollinators. Orchard crops such as apples, pears, plums, apricots, etc., are mass-flowering crops and attract many different bee species during their bloom period. Many bee species found in orchards emerge from overwintering as the fruit trees start flowering in spring, and the active duration of these bees aligns very closely with the blooming time of fruit trees. In addition, most of the bees in orchards are short-range foragers and tend to stay close to the fruit crops. However, the importance of orchard bee communities is not well understood, and many challenges in maintaining their populations remain. This comprehensive review paper summarizes the different types of bees commonly found in tree fruit orchards in the fruit-growing regions of the United States, their bio-ecology, and genetic diversity. Additionally, recommendations for the management of orchard bees, different strategies for protecting them from multiple stressors, and providing suitable on-farm nesting and floral resource habitats for propagation and conservation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subgenus Chalepochile Gonzalez & Engel of Megachile Latreille was known only from males of two species. In this contribution the female of M. ardua Mitchell, type species of Chalepochile, is described, as well as a new species based on both sexes. The new species M. (Chalepochile) bilineata occurs in the provinces of Córdoba, La Rioja and Mendoza in Argentina. The phylogenetic relationships of the subgenus Chalepochile are discussed in the light of characters of the females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reproduction of two Osmia species increased with landscape-wide pollen availability. • Woody semi-natural habitats contributed disproportionately to the Osmia diet. • Benefits of forest proximity to Osmia indicated functions beyond pollen supply. • Resource and land cover maps help to understand the spatial ecology of wild bees. Floral resources are crucial for wild pollinators. Identifying the spatio-temporal floral resource use of wild pollinators and effects of resource distribution on their development might help to promote them and their pollination services to crops in agricultural landscapes. We established populations of Osmia cornuta and Osmia bicornis, two solitary wild bees , in 24 agricultural landscapes with varying floral resource availability. Based on their pollen use, we mapped the landscape-scale distribution of the visited plants, estimated pooled specific floral resource availabilities and measured its effects on reproductive output. Woody semi-natural habitats such as hedgerows provided the majority of pollen sources for both Osmia species. Pollen use differed strongly between the two species. The offspring of both Osmia increased with availability of pooled specific pollen resources. In accordance with their preferred pollen types, offspring of O. cornuta increased with increasing cover of trees and shrubs of the Rosaceae family, and that of O. bicornis with increasing cover of Papaver rhoeas, Ranunculus acris and Quercus spp. as well as with the proximity to oilseed rape. In spite of their specific responses to pollen resources, the offspring of both species decreased with the distance to forest. The floral resource availability did not significantly affect the proportion of adult females and the weight of the offspring. As forest does not appear to be a main foraging habitat for both species, the benefit of forest proximity indicates an additional role of forest in addition to food availability. Specific flowering plants and forests should thus be conserved and enhanced to maintain and support O. cornuta, O. bicornis and likely other wild bee populations in agricultural landscapes. The combined information of land cover and detailed floral resource availability gives a deeper understanding into population processes in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbes, including diverse bacteria and fungi, play an important role in the health of both solitary and social bees. Among solitary bee species, in which larvae remain in a closed brood cell throughout development, experiments that modified or eliminated the brood cell microbiome through sterilization indicated that microbes contribute substantially to larval nutrition and are in some cases essential for larval development. To better understand how feeding larvae impact the microbial community of their pollen/nectar provisions, we examine the temporal shift in the bacterial community in the presence and absence of actively feeding larvae of the solitary, stem-nesting bee, Osmia cornifrons (Megachilidae). Our results indicate that the O. cornifrons brood cell bacterial community is initially diverse. However, larval solitary bees modify the microbial community of their pollen/nectar provisions over time by suppressing or eliminating rare taxa while favoring bacterial endosymbionts of insects and diverse plant pathogens, perhaps through improved conditions or competitive release. We suspect that the proliferation of opportunistic plant pathogens may improve nutrient availability of developing larvae through degradation of pollen. Thus, the health and development of solitary bees may be interconnected with pollen bacterial diversity and perhaps with the propagation of plant pathogens.

Phenological shifts have been observed in a wide range of taxa, but the fitness consequences of these shifts are largely unknown, and we often lack experimental studies to assess their population-level and evolutionary consequences. Here, we describe an experimental study to determine the fitness consequences of phenological shifts in blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria) emergence, compare the measured seasonal fitness landscape with observed phenology in the unmanipulated population, and assess seasonal variation in key factors related to reproduction, foraging, and brood parasitism that were expected to affect the shape of the fitness landscape. By tracking individually marked females, we were able to estimate the lifetime fitness impacts of phenological advances and delays. We also measured parasitism risk, floral resource use, and nesting behavior to understand how each varies seasonally, and their combined effects on realized fitness. Survival to nesting decreased non-monotonically throughout the season, with a 20.4% decline in survival rates between the first and second cohorts. The total reproductive output per maternal bee was 14.9% higher in the second cohort compared to the first, and 161% higher in the second cohort compared to the third. Combining seasonal patterns in survival and reproductive output, experimentally advanced females showed 30.6% higher fitness than bees released at the historic peak. In contrast, the nesting phenology of unmanipulated bees showed nearly equal numbers of nesting attempts in the first two cohorts. Both increased resource availability and reduced parasitism risk favored earlier emergence. These results are consistent with a population experiencing directional selection for earlier emergence, adaptive bet-hedging, or developmental constraints. Our study offers insight into the fitness consequences of phenological shifts, the mechanisms affecting the fitness consequences of phenological shifts in a community context, and the potential for adaptive responses to climate change.

Unlike most nonsocial insects, female solitary bees lavish time and resources on each offspring, including huge eggs, protective nests, and cached diets. This added investment is thought to constrain their reproductive output to one offspring per foraging day over several weeks of adult life. These reproductive rates are best documented for several species of cavity-nesting Megachile and Osmia bees. In this study, we tracked the daily accumulation of new brood cells with eggs by each of about 200 O. lignaria females occupying observation nests set in a nature preserve. In 2021, multicell days accounted for > 80% of 3630 brood cells and progeny. Nesting females completed 2–3, even four brood cells with eggs during 12 h of fair weather. Thus, females could mature their next oocyte in < 4 h. Females averaged 1.84 cells/day, a rate approached by several other Osmia species. For them, 2- and 3-cell days should also be observable. These findings warrant revised expectations for the faster rates at which Osmia females can mature sequential oocytes, as well as build and provision brood cells, and ultimately increase as populations. These findings have implications for sustainably managing Osmia species as crop pollinators and their stewardship in wildlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bee genus Pseudoanthidium is represented by nine species in Europe. Of these nine species, Pseudoanthidium nanum is the most widespread, occurs mainly in xerothermic open habitats and creates nests in various cavity types. In this study, we provide information on the nest structure of this species in reed stalks and oak galls and about its parasitic species. We provide the first report of P. nanum as a host of Xylophrurus augustus (Ichneumonidae). The biology of the much rarer related species Pseudoanthidium tenellum is described here for the first time. This species occurs in terrestrial reed beds and wet meadows with the presence of reed galls and flowering plants in the family Asteraceae and is rare throughout its entire distribution area. This species nests inside reed galls induced by Lipara frit flies, and the nest structure is very similar to that of P. nanum. We report new parasitic species of this bee, namely, the cuckoo bee Stelis punctulatissima, the predator-inquiline Gasteruption nigrescens and two parasitoids, Leucospis biguetina and Miltogramma punctata. This bee collects pollen mainly from wetland plants in Bidens and Pulicaria. We also describe mature larvae of both species. The larvae do not differ greatly from one another; only the shape of mandibles and sclerotisation of mouthparts are slightly different. Further research should address the ecological requirements of P. tenellum, a poorly understood reed gall inquiline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the distribution of 88 species of the family Megachilidae, out of 3678 specimens in the Iranian Pollinator Insects Museum of Yasouj University (IPIM), which were collected in spring and summer 2009–2017 from different regions of Iran including Ardabil, Chaharmahal-o Bakhtiari, Fars, Golestan, Isfahan, Kerman, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh-va Boyer-Ahmad, Sistan-o Baluchestan, Alborz, are presented. Data on the number of specimens, locations, coordinates and distribution maps for Iran and global distribution of all species (where available) are also provided. Megachile (Megachile) octosignata Nylander 1852 is first recorded from Iran. Ninetheen species are reported for the first time from Chaharmahal-o Bakhtiari and Kohgiluyeh-va Boyer-Ahmad Provinces.

Bees are a large and diverse species of insects belonging to the Hymenoptera order. The family Megachilidae represents a large part of most of the bee fauna all over the world as a result of their importance as pollinators. The study aimed to describe the morphological characteristics of three species of wild bees belonging to Megachile parientina (Geoffroy, 1785), Rhodanthidium sticticum (Fabricius, 1787), and Anthidium diadema Latreille, 1809 in Aljabal Alakder, Libya. Specimens were collected by hand net from different locations in the Aljabal Alakder area (Albayda and Alwastia). The morphological characters were described by using the OPTIC microscope. Measurements were taken at full body length (in cm), front wings length, thorax and abdomen width, body color was taken (head, abdomen, thorax, wings), and the study described in details the morphology of mouthparts, wings venation, antenna and abdominal structure for all species. The morphological structures vary between the different species in color, size, and wings. The body length of M. parientina was 19 mm, R. sticticum was 12 mm, and A. diadema was 13 mm. The study’s conclusion insists on the importance of morphological description studies to facilitate the identification of wild bees species in Libya.

Ten species belonging to the tribe Osmiini were collected and identified from the east of Türkiye during 2017-2021. The specimens were identifed as Chelostoma emarginatum (Nylander, 1856), Heriades rubicola Pérez, 1890, Hoplitis leucomelana (Kirby, 1802), Hoplitis tridentata (Dufour and Perris, 1840, Hoplitis (Anthocopa) serainae Müller, 2012, Hoplitis (Hoplitis) sp., Osmia aurulenta (Panzer, 1799), Osmia gallarum Spinola, 1808, Osmia (Helicosmia) signata Erichson, 1835 and Osmia viridana Morawitz, 1874. Distributions, illustrations and brief descriptions of all species are added to the study. No new records were obtained but new localities for some species have been reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Urban areas can host speciose bee communities due partially to the species‐rich combination of both native and alien plant species found in these landscapes. However, in intensively‐constructed zones, it could be expected to record a low plant diversity used by bees because of the high proportion of paved surfaces in these areas. 2. We investigated the influence of urbanisation on the cavity‐nesting bee‐plant community and interaction network structures in a medium‐sized city. The floral diversity used by nesting females in cell provisioning was retrieved from the pollen content obtained from trap‐nests collected in 11 sites located in an urban landscape gradient. 3. Eighty pollen types belonging to 20 families were identified in the 155 pollen samples analysed. At least seven alien plant species were identified in samples from all sampling points. The landscape analysis revealed a positive influence of the proportion of green areas on the pollen type richness, although the null model was also selected as best model. Likewise, all network metrics but connectance were not influenced by any of the landscape variables. 4. Our findings demonstrated that notwithstanding the sampling sites the floral diversity used by bees and the alien pollen type richness were similar. Likewise, the bee‐plant networks were modular, asymmetric, and highly specialised. The positive adaptation that cavity‐nesting bee species present in urban environments and the presence of bee species that can explore a diverse flora may indicate that the local variation in the landscape had little influence on their interactions with plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like humans have a unique social security number and different phone numbers from various providers, so do proteins and metabolites have a unique structure but different identifiers from various databases. BridgeDb is an interoperability platform that allows combining these databases, by matching database-specific identifiers. These matches are called identifier mappings, and they are indispensable when combining experimental (omics) data with knowledge in reference databases. BridgeDb takes care of this interoperability between gene, protein, metabolite, and other databases, thus enabling seamless integration of many knowledge bases and wet-lab results. Since databases get updated continuously, so should the Open Science BridgeDb project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foraging and nesting performance of bees can provide important information on bee health and is of interest for risk and impact assessment of environmental stressors. While radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology is an efficient tool increasingly used for the collection of behavioral data in social bee species such as honeybees, behavioral studies on solitary bees still largely depend on direct observations, which is very time-consuming. Here, we present a novel automated methodological approach of individually and simultaneously tracking and analyzing foraging and nesting behavior of numerous cavity-nesting solitary bees. The approach consists of monitoring nesting units by video recording and automated analysis of videos by machine learning-based software. This Bee Tracker software consists of four trained deep learning networks to detect bees that enter or leave their nest and to recognize individual IDs on the bees' thorax and the IDs of their nests according to their positions in the nesting unit. The software is able to identify each nest of each individual nesting bee, which permits to measure individual-based measures of reproductive success. Moreover, the software quantifies the number of cavities a female enters until it finds its nest as a proxy of nest recognition, and it provides information on the number and duration of foraging trips. By training the software on 8 videos recording 24 nesting females per video, the software achieved a precision of 96% correct measurements of these parameters. The software could be adapted to various experimental setups by training it according to a set of videos. The presented method allows to efficiently collect large amounts of data on cavity-nesting solitary bee species and represents a promising new tool for the monitoring and assessment of behavior and reproductive success under laboratory, semi-field, and field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ventral metasomal scopa is in female megachilid bees (Megachilidae) the main morphological structure which is known to be used for transporting pollen from the flower to the nest. Here a new species of bee, Anthidium pectinatum Kasparek, sp. nov. is described from southern Syria and eastern Anatolia, in which significant pollen loads were regularly found also on the female clypeus. Pollen grains accumulated on the clypeus were mostly colourful and large; the majority was assigned to the Cardueae (Asteraceae). By contrast, pollen grains accumulated in the ventral scopa were smaller and mainly belonged to Convolvulaceae, probably within the genus Cuscuta. Possible roles of the pollen packages found on the clypeus are discussed, including the possibility that these pollen grains are used for adorning or masking the nest entrance as was observed in other bee species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Anthidiini comprise a large, diversified, and widely distributed tribe of megachiline bees. Recently, morphological and molecular analyses recovered five major monophyletic groups within the tribe. For this reason, we review the current classification of the tribe, giving status of subtribe to these lineages. A new subtribe, Epanthidiina (type genus: Epanthidium Moure), is proposed for a large group restricted to the Neotropical region. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses support the taxonomic limits of the new subtribe. We also propose a new genus, Urbanthidium (type species: Anthodioctes gracilis Urban), in order to accommodate results from a previous study in which Anthodioctes Holmberg came out paraphyletic. Two species are transferred to the new genus: Urbanthidium gracile (Urban) comb. n., Urbanthidium psaenythioides (Holmberg) comb. n.

Bees experience differences in thermal tolerance based on their geographical range; however, there are virtually no studies that examine how overwintering temperatures may influence immature survival rates. Here, we conducted a transplant experiment along an elevation gradient to test for climate‐change effects on immature overwinter survival using movement along elevational gradient for a community of 26 cavity‐nesting bee species in the family Megachilidae along the San Francisco Peaks, Arizona elevational gradient. In each of three years, we placed nest blocks at three elevations, to be colonized by native Megachilidae. Colonized blocks were then (1) moved to lower (warmer) elevations; (2) moved to higher (cooler) elevations; or (3) left in their natal habitat (no change in temperature). Because Megachilidae occupy high elevations with colder temperatures more than any other family of bees, we predicted that emergence would decrease in nest blocks moved to lower elevations, but that we would find no differences in emergence when nest blocks were moved to higher elevations. We found three major results: (1) Bee species moved to lower (warmer) habitats exhibited a 30% decrease in emergence compared with species moved within their natal habitat. (2) Habitat generalists were more likely than habitat specialists to emerge when moved up or down in elevation regardless of their natal life zones. (3) At our highest elevation treatment, emergence increased when blocks were moved to higher elevations, indicating that at least some Megachilidae species can survive at colder temperatures. Our results suggest that direct effects of warming temperatures will have negative impacts on the overall survival of Megachilidae. Additionally, above the tree line, low availability of wood‐nesting resources is a probable limiting factor on bees moving up in elevation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bees used alfalfa leaves but ignored alfalfa petals and cut marigold petals but not marigold leaves. Relative to the abundance of plants in cages, bees used alfalfa leaves, marigold petals, and mallow leaves 4.8, 8.9, and 6.1 times more than expected, respectively, but used mallow petals 1.9 times less than expected (Fig. Keywords: alfalfa leafcutting bee; behavior; Medicago sativa; Megachile rotundata; Megachilidae; reproduction EN alfalfa leafcutting bee behavior Medicago sativa Megachile rotundata Megachilidae reproduction 1 4 4 02/03/22 20220201 NES 220201 The alfalfa leafcutter bee ( I Megachile rotundata i , hereafter simply "leafcutter bee") is a solitary, cavity-nesting bee native to Eurasia, managed as an agricultural pollinator of alfalfa and several other crops in North America since the 1940s (Pitts-Singer and Cane 2011). Here, we describe the petal provisioning behavior and provide the first, to our knowledge, quantitative assessment of behavior related to leafcutter bee nest building material selection involving petals in a controlled environment. [Extracted from the article]

We report for the first time in India one genus, Bathanthidium Mavromoustakis, and the following four species of the bee tribe Anthidiini (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) based on material deposited at the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata: Anthidium (Anthidium) florentinum (Fabricius), Anthidium (Proanthidium) qingtaoi Niu and Zhu, Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) carinatum (Wu), and Bathanthidium (Manthidium) binghami (Friese). Illustrations of each of these species are provided, together with the information about their distribution, floral association, and diagnostic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Anthidiini is a highly diverse tribe of bees with approximately 700 described species worldwide, of which about 350 occur in the Neotropical region. However, the phylogenetic relationships within the Neotropical lineage are poorly understood and the generic limits of these clades are still controversial, with different proposals of classification. Therefore, we carried out a phylogenetic study to investigate the monophyly of Neotropical taxa, to understand the relationships among Neotropical genera, and to propose a classification congruent with the evolution of the group. We performed parsimony-based morphological analyses using a matrix of 204 characters from adults of 83 species (79 terminal taxa of Anthidiini and four outgroup taxa). The results provide strong support for the monophyly of the tribe, despite a representation biased towards the Neotropical taxa. The monophyly of a large group containing only species from Neotropical genera is also supported. The latter group is divided into six main clades, one of them composed of only cleptoparasitic taxa (Austrostelis , Hoplostelis , Melostelis and Rhynostelis). The morphological characters assembled here allowed scrutiny of the genus-level classification of the Neotropical clade and may be useful for future phylogenetic studies involving the Anthidiini from other biogeographic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scarcity of studies of the dynamics of wild bee populations hampers conservation efforts by bee ecologists and conservationists. Present limited information suggests that bee populations are highly unpredictable from year-to-year. Here we present an historical data set from nine sites replicated in 1984 and 1985 that demonstrates extreme between-year variability in numbers for 19 xylophilous bee species. Sixteen of those species produced far fewer nests in 1985, and 13 species in 1985 produced less than a third the number of nests produced in 1984. We argue that the 1985 collapse was not due to semivoltinism, i.e., the absence of morphs that require two years to mature, or to excessive sampling in 1984, but to a record cold period from January to March 1985 which likely killed most diapausing bees. Such events illustrate the dynamism of wild bee populations and thereby the large number of years needed to establish statistically significant population trends. We suggest that the current emphasis by bee conservationists to promote widespread surveillance monitoring programs is misguided and that funds are more effectively spent on hypothesis-driven targeted monitoring and on actions to actually reclaim degraded wild bee habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Solitary bees, such as the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis), provide important ecosystem services including pollination. In the face of global declines of pollinator abundance, such haplodiploid Hymenopterans have a compounded extinction risk due to the potential for limited genetic diversity. In order to assess the genetic diversity of Osmia bicornis populations, we developed microsatellite markers and characterised them in two populations. Methods and results: Microsatellite sequences were mined from the recently published Osmia bicornis genome, which was assembled from DNA extracted from a single male bee originating from the United Kingdom. Sequences were identified that contained dinucleotide, trinucleotide, and tetranucleotide repeat regions. Seventeen polymorphic microsatellite markers were designed and tested, sixteen of which were developed into four multiplex PCR sets to facilitate cheap, fast and efficient genotyping and were characterised in unrelated females from Germany (n = 19) and England (n = 14). Conclusions: The microsatellite markers are highly informative, with a combined exclusion probability of 0.997 (first parent), which will enable studies of genetic structure and diversity to inform conservation efforts in this bee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La ecología y el comportamiento de la mayoría de las especies de abejas mediterráneas (fenología, comportamiento solitario o social, apareamiento, nidificación, especialización en plantas) son aún poco conocidos o no han sido descritos en profundidad, salvo para contadas especies. Tal es el caso de la abeja roja de los caracoles, Rhodanthidium sticticum (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), una especie mediterránea, solitaria y territorial cuya biología ha sido tratada muy superficialmente. En este trabajo se describe su fenología, el uso que hace de conchas de caracol más allá de la nidificación, la polilectia y las plantas que visita, su capacidad de vuelo, la territorialidad y el apareamiento, todo ello basado en observaciones de campo propias. La biología de R. sticticum es parecida a la de otros Anthidiini, pero con particularidades. Es una especie primaveral, univoltina, muy activa en días soleados durante las horas centrales. Cuando las condiciones meteorológicas son adversas se refugia en el interior de conchas de caracol, pudiendo compartirlas varios individuos (de la misma especie o incluso de otras). A pesar de ser claramente poliléctica, muestra preferencia por plantas con flores melitófilas, en especial del género Antirrhinum. Los machos defienden sus territorios, tanto contra otros machos conespecíficos como interespecíficamente, con un comportamiento que permite asegurar su propio éxito reproductivo.

Different species of bees provide essential ecosystem services by pollinating various agricultural crops, including tree fruits. Many fruits and nuts depend on insect pollination, primarily by wild and managed bees. In different geographical regions where orchard crops are grown, fruit growers rely on wild bees in the farmscape and use orchard bees as alternative pollinators. Orchard crops such as apples, pears, plums, apricots, etc., are mass-flowering crops and attract many different bee species during their bloom period. Many bee species found in orchards emerge from overwintering as the fruit trees start flowering in spring, and the active duration of these bees aligns very closely with the blooming time of fruit trees. In addition, most of the bees in orchards are short-range foragers and tend to stay close to the fruit crops. However, the importance of orchard bee communities is not well understood, and many challenges in maintaining their populations remain. This comprehensive review paper summarizes the different types of bees commonly found in tree fruit orchards in the fruit-growing regions of the United States, their bio-ecology, and genetic diversity. Additionally, recommendations for the management of orchard bees, different strategies for protecting them from multiple stressors, and providing suitable on-farm nesting and floral resource habitats for propagation and conservation are discussed.

Social paper wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) construct comb nests of tens to hundreds of brood cells that are abandoned each year before winter. The nests are positioned where they are protected from inclement weather and may remain intact for several years. Here, I detail observations of nests provisioned by the non-native, solitary Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee (Megachile rotundata (Fabricius, 1787); Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in individual brood cells in vacated combs of the invasive, social European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791)) on a green roof in Toronto, Ontario. A total of 12 paper wasp combs were dissected and 280 M. rotundata nests (one per wasp comb cell) were recovered; 22 nests were provisioned in 2013 consisting of 32 individual M. rotundata brood cells. Parasitism by Melittobia and Monodontomerus wasps accounted for 46.9% of M. rotundata mortality in the cells in 2013; mortality from all causes, including parasitism, was 78.1%. In contrast, total mortality of M. rotundata in brood cells provisioned in a human-made bee nest box on the same roof in 2013 was 4.2% and there was no parasitism. Mortality by parasitism and total brood mortality in 391 brood cells provisioned in 41 nests in the bee nest box in 2011--2013 were 2.0% and 21.2%, respectively. Therefore, the use of vacated paper wasp comb cells resulted in an overall >20-fold increase in parasitism and >3-fold increase in brood mortality over that observed in the bee nest box when all years are combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study conducted on the diversity of macrohymenoptera at the Thommana Kole wetland, Thrissur, Kerala revealed 36 species from 24 genera and 9 families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]