EPP 472
Find PDFs of presentatpresentationsions and links to new Know Your Native Bees publicationspublications att ththehe Soil Plant and Pest Center web site underr publications and presentations
Frank A. Hale,, Ph.DD. Professor Entomology andd Plantnt Pathology
This presentation based on: Bee Basics, An Introductionction to OurO Native Bees http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO CUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf
USDAA Forest Service andd PollinatorPollin Partnership Publication
By Beatrizz Miossetet, Ph.D. and Stephenn Buchmannn, Ph.D.
Native bees Native bees
4,000 native bee species in the U.S. PollinateP 80% of the 250,000250,00 flowering plant species in the world MostM of the ppollinationollination of native plants is done by native bees BeesB pppppollinateollinate aapproximatelypproximately 75% of the HoneyHoneH y bees are not native since thetheyy fruits, nutsnut and vegetables grown in this were brought here by European settlers country Habropodaab opodaa laboriosaabo osa Southeastern Blueberry Bee Southeasterneasternn BBlueberrylueberr Bee Familyy Apidae CanC visit as manymany as 50,000 blueberrblueberryy flowers and pollinated enough to producep more than 6,000 ripe blueberries
6,000 blueberries are worth $20 or more
Image courtesy of Hannah Burrack, NCSU
Paper Wasp Chewing Caterpillar into a Ball to Feed to Bees and Wasps Larvae in Nest
BeesBees evolved from predaceouspp wasps startingstarti somes 125 million years agago when the first flowering plants evolved
WaspsWasps are carnivores,carnivores, predators or parasitoids of other insects and spiders
SomeSomeome w waspswasasps sswitched witched tot utilizing utilizing nectar for energye and the pollen for protein and over time, adaptations enabled them to better utilize this resource and evolve into bees
Social and Solitary Bees
SolitaryS bees live alone asa adults and raise their brood alone
SocialS bees (honey bees, yellow jacket wasps, hornets) haveha annual colonies of many individuals
Paper wasp image courtesy of Terrence Godfrey, photojournalist Social Bees Yellowjackets
AnAn ooverver-winteringwinterinw g queen emergesemerges in the spring,spring, builds a nest, lalaysys eggsegg and collects food for the resulting larvae
TheT female worker adults emerge to work togethertogether to feed and care for the coloncolonyy untilunt fallfall when new qqueensueens emerge,emerge, mate and hibernatehiberna until spring when the cycle begins anew Image courtesy of Alan Windham
Pollenn TransporTransportporrt StrucStructures, Longg-tonguedongued Bees vs Shortrt- Calledd Scopae tongued Bees Ecologically,E bees can be separated into two MadeM of stiff hairs loclocated on the hind legs or groups based on the relative length of mouthparts under the abdomen
LongLoL ng-tonguedtoonguedo bees likee ApidaeApidaee anda d MegachilidaeMeM gachilidaae, BeesB frequently brush themselves, gathering favor deep flowers with a longer throat,thro although pollenpollen grains from their bodybody’s s feathery, branbranchedrannched they can feed on open flat flowers hairs and transfer the pollen grains to theirr scopae
ShortShoS rt-tongedtoongedo bees are more limited in their floral BeesB have brbranched hairs that distinguish bees choices (shallow flowers, ssuchuch as those of the daisy from wasps or aster family and those of the carrot family
Osmiaa cornifronscornifc niffrons Hornfacedd BeeB Notee lolongong tongue Familyy Megachilidae http://ww w.fs.usda. gov/Intern et/FSE_D OCUME NTS/stelp rdb53064 68.pdf
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset http://ww w.fs.usda Nesting .gov/Inte rnet/FSE AllA bee families have species that ccare for _DOCU MENTS/ their young by building nests and stelprdb5 306468.p provisioningprovisioning the nests with pollen,pollen, nectar, df and saliva before layinglaying their eggs,eggs, and sealing them to protect the larvae
TheyT generally mix dry pollen with somesom nectar and knead it into a pollen loaf
TheirT saliva provides protection against some bacterial and fungal infections
Cuckoo Bees Nomadaa sp.s Cuckoouckoo BBeeeee femalefemal CuckooC bees are speciesspecies from three bee Familyy Apidae families that lay theirthe eggs in the nests of other bee species
SomeS cuckoo bee specspeciesies kill thet host’s larvae before laying their egg
TheT mamajorityjority of cuckoo bee larvae feedfee on Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset the stored food and the host larvae
Cuckoo bees are often mistaken for wasps
Types of nests Solitary Bees, Honey Bees and Bumblee Bees Provide Mass Provisioning SomeS nnative bees build underground nests EachE cell is provisioned with all the food requrequired by the larva to become OthersO use hollow stems or holes in an adult trees usuallyyyy left byy beetlesbeetle or some chew holes in the wood Undergroundnderground Nest Provisioned WiWith Miners or Digger Bees Dig Bright Orange Pollen Masses their Nests in the Ground Bare,B sunnsunnyy spots with little cchance of flooding are usually chosen
LongL tunnels are excavated (can be a foot deep or more)
A chamber wider that the tunnel (brood cell) is constructed at the end of the tunnel and often otother branches with brood cells are made http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf
Miners or Digger Bees Dig Holee-Nesters: Mason and Leafcutter Bees their Nests in the Ground MakeMake nnestsests in hollowhollow stemsstems oror holesholes mademade byby woowoododod-boringbobori beetles or other insects in TheT brood cell is provisioned with dead wood enough pollen and nectar for justjus one bee to grown from egg to adult OthersO use rrock crevices or surfaces to form their nests TheThe egg is laid and the chamber is sealed BroodB cells, usually lined up endend-toto-endenend in a row, which each serve as nurseries and growth chamberschamber for larvae, pupae and young adults
HoleHole Nesters: Beee Houses/Walls Mason and PaperPaP per drinkindrinkingg straws can be tied togethertogether Leafcutter Bees or hollow twitwigsggys such as elderberryelderberry can be MasonM bees use mud to construct partitionpartition packed horizontally into a container such as walls between adjacent cells and a ththicker a small milk carton facing south or southeast plug to seal thet nest entrance from parasitoids CloseC the ooppositepposite end of the straws bbyy gluing the back ends into your carton LeafcutterL bees cut rounded leaf ppiecesiec to line the inner walls of nest burrows A block of wood ((scrapscrapcrapp lumber)lumber) can also have holesless drilleddrillled inn it while instructions are availablee onn-line Bee Walls Carpenter Bees
ChewC holes in wood with powerful mandibles
TheyT create “particleparticle board”boar spiral partitions between cells
http://pithandvigor.com/daily-garden/shop-for-garden-products/shed-other-garden-buildings/encouraging-native-bees-with-insect-walls/
Eastern Carpenter Bee Generalists vs Specialists Excavated Nest in Wood BumbleB bees are generalists that depend on a succession of plantspg flowering fromomm eearlyarlyy spring when the queen ememerges too too early fall when the colony dies
OtherO bees specialize in foraging, they resort toto using pollen from only one or two families of flowering plants
SpecialistsS may collect nectar from a wider http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf range of blossoms than they visit for pollen
Squash Bees Specialist Bees AboutA the same size and bbrownish SquashS bees are efficient pollinators of coloration as honey bees cucurbit plants TheyT ppollinate flowers faster than honey Blueberry bees bees
MacropisMacroM piss spp.spp. Collectlectt oil and pollenpollleenn on TheyTheT y bebegingin workinworkingg the cucurbit flowers at loosestrife flowers (LysimachiaLysimachiia) – they oror bbeforeefore dawndawn wwhenhen tthehe fflowerslowers areare must visit other plants for nectar openingopening wwhile honey bees arrive later in the day
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisette Beatriz of courtesy Image pellet r r corbitular
nectar and saliva, into a tight mass called a a called mass tight a into saliva saliva, nd and and ctar nectar ne
The basket can be packed with pollen, mixed with with mixed mixed pollen, pollen, with with packed packed be be can can basket basket The The T
rows of long strong setae (hairs) along the edges the along (hairs) setae strong long of rows
with with flattened flattened is is leg leg hind hind the the of of segment segment s al al bia tibial tib e e e The Th T
pollen baskets, called corbiculae, on their hind legs hind their on corbiculae, called baskets, pollen
specialized specialized have have bees bees honey honey and and bees bees Bumble Bumble B
blueberry bees, and cuckoo bees) cuckoo and bees, blueberry
Apidae y y Family southeastern southeastern bees, bees, squash squash bees, bees,
spotted Bumble Bee male male Bee Be mble Bum Bumble Bum potted spotted - - - o o o o Two (honey bees, bumble bees, carpenter carpenter carpenter bees, bees, bumble bumble bees, bees, honey (honey
, , s u us bimaculatus bimaculatu b s s Bombus Bombus Bo B
Apidae Apidae
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image
Image courtesy of Alan Windham, UT Extension UT Windham, Alan of courtesy Image
Apidae y y Family
Common Eastern Bumble Bee female female B Bee umble Bu Bu Bumble Eastern Eastern Common Bumble Bee Bee Bumble
impatiens impatiens i s s Pyrobombus Pyrobombus
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image
bees
their colonies are not as big or long lived as honey honey as lived long or big as not are co colonies their their
although although bees bees native native other other most most that that social social More More M
bright orange stripes orange bright
Large, furry and mostly black with yellow, white or or white yellow, with black mostly mostly and and furry furry Large, Large, L
50 species in North America North in species 50 - -- s bees Bumble
blueberry bees, and cuckoo bees) cuckoo and bees, blueberry Apidae y y y y Family
southeastern southeastern bees, bees, squash squash bees, bees, Common Squash Bee Be uash Sq Sq Squash ommon Common
(honey bees, bumble bees, carpenter carpenter carpenter bees, bees, bumble bumble bees, bees, oney h (honey Squash Bee or or or Bee Bee Squash Squash S e e e ruinose Pruinose P
Apidae Apidae ruinosa pruinosa p p s s psis ap Peponapsis Peponap Bumble Bees Carpenter Bees
UnlikeU bumble bees that are fuzzy all overover,, carpenterc ppy bees are practically hairlehairless on the TheT impatient bumble bee is used as a pollinator upper abdomen, appearing glossy of greenhouse tomatoes InIn early spring,spring, males competing for females AllA that is needed is a queen,queen, a box for a nest, and chasechase awayaway otherother malesmales oror mmight even buzz a supply of sugar water because tomatoes don’t humans but they can’t sting produce nectar CarpenterC bees often cut a slit at the base of BumbleB bbees are important pollinators of some thethe flower to getget at the nectar without comincoming nearnear thethe pollenpollen dispenddispensingispen anthers or the clovers stigma of the flower
Xylocopaa virginicav Carpenterr Beee Damage Easternstern CarpenterCarparppenter BeeB Familyy Apidae
Image courtesy of Wikapedia
CeratinaCeratinaa calcaratcalcarat Small Carpenter Bees a Small Carpenter Bee
MuchM smaller than carcarpenterpenter bees, thetheyy nest in pithy stems, such as blackberry or roses
Image courtesy of The Packer Lab - Bee Tribes of the World Southeastern Blueberry Bees (SEBB) Southeastern Blueberry Bees ForagesF primarily on blueberries anda are only http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf active for a few weeks each year
FasterF and more efficiente pollinators of blueberries than honey bees
TheT SEBB vibrates her flight muscles very rapidly causing the whole flower to vibrate
ThisT buzz pollination (sonication) causes pollen to shakeshake out of the anthers onto her body and it also causes ppollen clinging to her body to attach to the stigma
TribeTribee EuceriniEucerini Longg-hornedhornedd BeeBee FemaleFem Familyy Apidae Megachilidd Bees
ThisT family containsco mason bees and leafaf- cutter bees
TheyTheT y carrcarryy pollen on the underside of theirthei abdomens insteainstead of carrying pollen on their back legs
The blue orchard bee pollinates fruit trees
Image courtsy of Beatriz Moisset
Blue Orchard Bee MegachileMegachilee SubgenusSubgebgeenus XanthosarusXanthonthoosaruss sp.s Familyy Megachilidae
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image
Family Halictidae Halictidae Family
Sweat Bees Sweat - - - e e e Halictidae Family
Female Female Bee Bee weat Sweat S
chlora o g go g u Augochlora A Au A n n n Green Green re Pure Pu
sp. sp. sp. s m m Lasioglossum Lasioglossum ra pura pu p a a ra hlor Augochlora Augochlor
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image
striped - - - k k k k c c black
green, yellow and and yellow green, – – s species n n stemon s pos apos Agapos A Agapostemon
the bark of a rotting log rotting a of bark the
magnificent green bee) builds its nest under under nest its builds b ) bee) bee reen green g nificent g ma magnificent
pure pure means means name (name (n a a pura pura p a a Augochlora A Augochlora
copper or gold, and sometimes even black) even sometimes and gold, or copper
to to blue blue reen, g ( (green, bodies bodies olored colored co c - - - c c c c ic i ic metalli metallic y shin shiny
Some of the most beautiful bees with their r i e h their t h t i with w s e e bees b l u f i t u a e beautiful b t s o o o o most m m m e h t the f of o e m o S S Some
Family Halictidae Family
Sweat Bees Sweat
p. sp. s s n n n Agapostemon Agapostemon
Halictidae Halictidae Halictidae
Bee B Bee B n Green Green Metallic Metallic
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image
Megachilidae y y Family Megachilidae y y y Family
male male Bee Bee ed ad headed head Big Big Bees Bees Cutter Cutter C C - - - f f f f f f f f f f f f af a a af ea Leaf L L L - - - o o o o o o Cuckoo Cuckoo
sp. . p sp. s s e e Megachile Megachile sp. . p sp. s s s s ys y oxy oxy elioxy e Coelioxys Coe Coe Coe Pure Greenn Augochlora Halictuss rubicundusr Sweat Bee Female FemaleF builds nest under bark of rotten logs,logs, Family Halictidae addsaddsd her saliva and secretionssecretions to loose, halfha rottedroottedt wood to build an enenvelope for her eggs and accumulated pollen
SheShSheh kneads the pollenpollen into a number of tintinyy loavesloavesa shaped like tiles which are plastered on thethe wall of the broad chamber and then lays an eggeggg and seals the cell comcompletely to keep out ants and other predators
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5306468.pdf Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset
Bee Nests AggreAggregationgreregation of Andrenidaee - Miner Bees Lasioglossumasioglossumsumm zephyrumzephyruyruum (Zephyrr DiallictusDiallictuD s) AllA groundground nesters and mostlmostlyy dark, black Family Halictidae or reddish, but can be metallic blue, yellow, or red and yellow
VelvetyVelvetV y ppatchesatches ((foveae)foveae) on their faces between ththe eyes and the base of the antennae
MostM are active only in the early spring where thetheyy visit willows,willows, maples,maple apples, violets and other wildflowers Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset
Andrenaenaa SubgenusS nuss GonandrenaGonand Andrenaa SubgenusS s SimandreaSimandreS a nasonii DogwoodDogwoodd AndrenaAndndrena Nason’sNaN son s AndrenaAndAnddrene a Familyy Andrenidaee - Mining Bees Familyy Andrenidaee – Mining Bees
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Image courtesy of Beatriz Mosset
Apidae y y Family
Questions?
Honey Bee Swarm Swarm e Bee Bee Bee Honey Honey
huge numbers can be brought in for pollination pollination for in brought be can numbers huge
ermits, and d n a and and , s t i m r ermits, e permits, p p r e h t a e weather w weather e h the t the s as as a g g n o long l lon s as a as e t a n i l l o ollinate o o o o o o pollinate p p
of Beatriz Moisset Beatriz of
Image courtesy courtesy Image can can can can y they the they , needed needed, needed, where where where fields fields fields to to to orted p ans a ansported a transported tr tr t
Honey bees are valuable because they can be be be can can they they because because valuable valuable are are bees bees oney Honey H H H H
cranberries
as pumpkins, cherries, blueberries, and and blueberries, cherries, pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins, s s s s s s as as as
bees when pollinating many native plants, such such plants, plants, plants, native native native many many many pollinating pollinating pollinating when when when ees e e ees e e bees be be b
Honey bees do very poorly compared to native native native to to compared compared poorly poorly very very do do bees bees oney Honey H H H
flowers
Colletidae
tomato or eggplant eggplant or tomato e pollinate t o not do be bees Honey Honey H
Cellophane Bees, Family F Family Bees, Bees, hane p Cellophane
species group group species species
bees are not native not are bees y Honey mericanu americanus a a s s olletes Colletes
Image courtesy of Beatriz Moisset Moisset Beatriz of courtesy Image
glands to line the brood cells brood the line to glands
like material exuded from from exuded mate material ke k i like li - - - e e e e e e han op cell cellophane a a use use and and
Sometimes they form large aggregations of nests nests nests of of aggregations aggregations rge a large la la la m m form form they they Sometimes Sometimes S
They all nest in pithy stems pithy in nest all They
mistaken for wasps for mistaken
They are not as hairy as other bees and can be be can and bees other as hairy hairy as as not not are are ey They Th T
in their crops their in
do not have pollen baskets since they carry pollen pollen carry they since baskets pollen po p p have have not not do do
, , us us ylaeu H Hylaeus s, s, bees, bees masked masked m m - - w w w w w w yellow yellow the the as as such such me Some So S
Mining Bees Mining – – – – – e e Andrenidae y y family ) Bees) (Cellophane (p
azalea azalea on on e l l mal mal emale e f f f f f . . sp. sp s a a na dren ndren Andrena A Collectidae Collectidae