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Aspects of the reproductive biology of two carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) in southern Arizona Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Minckley, Robert Lynn, 1957- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 29/09/2021 14:22:02 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276573 INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. 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Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Order Number 1332421 Aspects of the reproductive biology of two carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) in southern Arizona Minckley, Robert Lynn, M.S. The University of Arizona, 1987 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or pages 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print 3. Photographs with dark background 4. Illustrations are poor copy 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages. 8. Print exceeds margin requirements 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print 11. Page(s) lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s) seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received 16. Other ASPECTS OF THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF TWO CARPENTER BEES (GENUS XYLOCOPA) IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA by Robert Lynn Minckley A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCES In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 8 7 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Request for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgement the proposed use of the material is in the interests os scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR has been approved on the date shown below: R. L. SMITH iociate Professor of Entomology ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to the members of my advisory committee, Or. Villiam Nutting for providing many helpful suggestions and criticisms of my research, Dr. Robert Smith who gave me the opportunity to pursue my ideas freely and in particular Dr. Stephen Buchmann for his constant patience, insight and support. Numerous persons contributed to completion of this study but three were abundantly helpful throughout and are due specific acknowledgement, Lawrence Puis and Micheal Calhoun who helped in field work and Donald Gilmour who did the illustrations. Finally, I thank my wife, Nancy, who contributed enormously to every facet of this project. ill TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix ABSTRACT xi CHAPTER I. NESTING ECOLOGY OF XYLOCOPA CALIFORNICA ARIZONENSIS 1 Introduction 1 General Biology of Xylocopa callfornica arlzonensis 2 Nest Site Selection 4 Materials and Methods 5 Description of Study Site 5 A. palmeri Life History 6 A. palmeri Phenology 6 Nesting 8 Nest Woods 9 Results 10 A. palmeri Phenology 10 Stalk Attrition 16 Nest Site Selection 19 Nest Microsites 21 Substrate Properties 23 iv V Substrate Availability 28 Substrate Usage Patterns 30 Discussion 34 Nest Site Selection and the Thermal Environment 37 Limiting Factors on Nesting Success 41 Speciation in the Xylocopini 42 Summary 47 CHAPTER II. LIFE HISTORY, NESTING BIOLOGY AND MALE MATING BEHAVIOR OF THE LARGE CARPENTER BEE, XYLOCOPA (NEOXYLOCOPA) VARIPUNCTA (HYMENOPTERA: ANTHOPHORIDAE) 48 Introduction 48 Description of the study site 51 Materials and Methods 52 General activity patterns and life history 52 Male mating behavior 52 Results 53 Nest substrate usage and nest architecture 53 Life history 53 Behavior at territories 57 Display site selection 64 Spatial patterns 65 Discussion 69 Life history, nesting biology and nest architecture 69 vi Male mating behavior 71 Site usage patterns and territorial placement tactics .... 79 LITERATURE CITED 85 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 List of nesting substrata known for X. c. arizonensis 3 2 Analysis of stalk use by X. c. arizonensis during 1985 and 1986 in the Rincon Mts.; Spring includes Mar., Apr., and May and summer includes June, July, and August 23 3 Breakdown of stalk conditions (explained in text) and carpenter bee usage in April, 1986 28 4 Thermal conductivity and density measurements for 3 wood types 30 5 Factors correlated with nest abandonment in spring, 1986 34 6 Length of nest occupation in stalks kept in the laboratory 34 7 Nesting substrates used by X. varipuncta 55 8 Types of male-male aggressive encounters and outcomes. See text for explanation of encounter types 64 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Nesting behavior of Xylocopa californica arizonensls at Tucson, Az, 1986. Dashed lines indicate that events were not observed at the study site but probably occurred, solid lines are recorded observations 8 2 Laboratory setup for determination of thermal conductivity measurements 12 3 Number of Agave palmer! stalks from January 1985 to September 1986 15 4 Standing floral scapes from January 1985 to September 1986 separated according to age class 16 5 Graph of stalk attrition through time for the 1984 age class 18 6 Probability a stalk will fall before the next census based on the 1984 age class (n = 66) plotted against the actual numbers which fell each month. Individual variation occurs within the population and for purposes of this graph are all assumed to flower on August 1 19 viii ix 7 A breakdown of the standing scapes in July 1986 based on condition and age. Condition 1 = green stalk still elongating; condition 2 = green stalk with flower buds; condition 3 = green stalk with flowers; condition 4 = green stalk with fruit; condition 5 = green stalk with dried seed pods; condition 6 = dried stalk with dried seed pods 21 8 Proposed scenario for the combined effect of decomposer and herbivore/ xylophile life histories on stalk quality plotted with the attrition pattern of the 1984 Agave palmeri age class 25 9 Temperature profile on 6 June, 1985 of Xylocopa californica arizonensis nest in a larval cell and in the nest tunnel 26 10 Map of study area showing lek and nest sites. Refer to figure 5 for letter designations 56 11 Life history of Xylocopa varipuncta 60 12 Temperature data for month preceding start of seasonal activity for 1984, 1985 and 1986 61 13 Rate of female return flights and percent of trips with pollen 62 14 1984 site and station use showing flowering phenology of focal plants 70 X 15 Frequency of male display times for 53 males from 1984 and 1985 mating seasons 72 16 Frequency of number of sites used per day 74 17 Number of days sites were used in 1984 mating season 75 18 Frequency preferred site was used compared with frequency of the number of sites used per day with the chinaberry site excluded 76 ABSTRACT Two species of large carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa) were studied in southern Arizona.