DOCSLIB.ORG

`Late' Male Sperm Precedence in Polyandrous Wool-Carder Bees And

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
`Late' Male Sperm Precedence in Polyandrous Wool-Carder Bees And Animal Behaviour 90 (2014) 211e217 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Animal Behaviour journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/anbehav ‘Late’ male sperm precedence in polyandrous wool-carder bees and the evolution of male resource defence in Hymenoptera Kathrin P. Lampert, Vanessa Pasternak, Philipp Brand, Ralph Tollrian, Florian Leese, Thomas Eltz* Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany article info The mating system of European wool-carder bees, Anthidium manicatum, differs from that of most bees in Article history: three important aspects: females (1) are polyandrous and (2) mate continuously over the course of their Received 2 October 2013 reproductive life, while males (3) exhibit resource defence polygyny, that is, defend patches of food Initial acceptance 4 November 2013 plants where copulations occur. To shed light on the evolution of this mating system we investigated Final acceptance 9 January 2014 male paternity using a combination of cage experiments and microsatellite genotyping of brood. We Published online found that, although females possess a spermatheca for long-term sperm storage, most brood was MS. number: 13-00824R fathered by males that had very recently mated with the breeding female, indicating pronounced last (or at least ‘late’) male sperm precedence. In the absence of males (male exclusion experiment) a large Keywords: proportion of eggs remained unfertilized (resulting in haploid male offspring), but some diploid Anthidium manicatum daughters arose from fathers that had been removed at least 11 days prior to egg laying. It appears that interspecific territoriality most A. manicatum eggs are fertilized with sperm from the bursa copulatrix, while the spermatheca last male sperm precedence fi microsatellites serves only as a backup reservoir. This is the rst demonstration of last male sperm precedence in ‘ ’ multiple mating aculeate Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants). We suggest that it has coevolved with resource defence or paternity ‘patrolling’-like male mating strategies in Hymenoptera, and with polyandry in anthidiine bees. polyandry Ó 2014 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. polygyny promiscuity resource defence Mating behaviours and mating systems of bees have received studied in detail, but those that have all appear to be polyandrous considerable attention from evolutionary biologists owing to their (Alcock, Eickwort, & Eickwort, 1977). Among them, the European diversity and potential for comparative analysis (Paxton, 2005; wool-carder bee, Anthidium manicatum, was unintentionally Thornhill & Alcock, 1983), but also because of their relevance to introduced to the Americas and New Zealand in the late 1960s and the evolution of sociality (Brown & Schmid-Hempel, 2003; Crozier is now the most widely distributed unmanaged bee species of the & Fjerdingstad, 2001; Strassmann, 2001). In the majority of bee world (Strange, Koch, Gonzalez, Nemelka, & Griswold, 2011). species, both solitary and social, the females are sexually receptive Anthidium manicatum represents an extreme case of polyandry that only at the beginning of adult life, mate only once with a single is combined with male territoriality and floral resource defence male, and store sperm from this copulation for use throughout their (Severinghaus, Kurtak, & Eickwort, 1981). Females forage on pollen reproductive life. Such single mating (monandry) in females ap- and nectar mostly from Lamiaceae and Fabaceae, which often grow pears to be the ancestral state in aculeate Hymenoptera, whereas in aggregated patches. Males establish territories centred on such polyandry is a derived exception (Hughes, Oldroyd, Beekman, & patches, fend off conspecific males and other flower visitors, and Ratnieks, 2008; Strassmann, 2001). Eusocial honeybees (Apis spp.) mate with females that forage within the territory (Severinghaus are a particularly notable and well-studied exception (Franck et al., et al., 1981; Wirtz, Kopka, & Schmoll, 1992; Wirtz, Szabados, 2002; Haberl & Tautz, 1998; Oldroyd et al., 1996; Schlüns, Moritz, Pethig, & Plant, 1988). Copulations are an extremely common Neumann, Kryger, & Koeniger, 2005). A less prominent exception sight at a given territory and repeated copulations of the same in- are bees within the Anthidiini, of which few species have been dividual regularly occur within a few minutes in both sexes (Severinghaus et al., 1981). The number of female visits and copu- lations that a male obtains was found to be positively correlated with territory quality, that is, the number of flowers in the territory, * Correspondence: T. Eltz, Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodi- versity, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany. and with male size (Severinghaus et al., 1981). Males that cannot E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Eltz). defend a territory, often the smaller males, adopt an alternative http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.034 0003-3472/Ó 2014 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 212 K. P. Lampert et al. / Animal Behaviour 90 (2014) 211e217 ‘sneaking’ tactic, but receive fewer copulation opportunities than on a chip (Hybond Nþ, GE Healthcare) with DNA from Mus mus- territory owners (Severinghaus et al., 1981). culus. As a modification to Leese et al. (2008), 0.03 U/ml Hotmaster The territorial mating behaviour of A. manicatum, and that of the Taq (5Prime) were used in PCR reactions. Also, nick repair and PCR similar Anthidium maculosum (Alcock et al., 1977), is probably were carried out in one reaction tube by incubating for 10 min at derived from behaviours where mate-seeking males patrol at floral 70 C prior to PCR (94 C for 2 min followed by 25 cycles of 15 s at resources, which is relatively common in bees, especially in species 94 C, 30 s at 52 C, 60 s at 65 C and 15 min final elongation at with nonaggregated nesting sites (Paxton, 2005). In fact, male 65 C). For elution, hybridization chips were transferred into 500 ml territoriality at flower patches can be considered a ‘localized’ case TE buffer (pH 8.0, 80 C) for 10 min. DNA was precipitated using a of patrolling which happens when floral resources are sufficiently standard isopropanolesodium acetate protocol. The enriched aggregated to allow monopolization and defence by individual fragments were PCR amplified in 50 ml reactions and cloned into males. pGEM-T easy (Promega) vectors and transformed into competent Floral resource defence by males may benefit females because JM109 E. coli (Promega). males fend off heterospecific flower visitors such as honeybees and Plasmid preparation of 48 colonies and shotgun sequencing bumblebees, which would otherwise compete for pollen and nectar using a standard M13-forward primer was conducted by GATC- (Wirtz et al., 1988). If females prefer to forage in defended sites, and Biotech (Konstanz, Germany). Analysis of electropherograms, vec- the costs of additional matings are low, then male resource defence tor clipping, assembly of contigs, redundancy filtering and primer and polyandry might coevolve. However, for males the benefits design were performed with the software Geneious 5.6 from resource defence will depend strongly on patterns of sperm (Drummond, Ashton, Buxton, & Cooper, 2011). Microsatellites in use by females. Female anthidiine bees, as is typical for solitary the final contigs were searched using the search tool Phobos bees, lay their eggs more or less continuously throughout the version 3.12 (Mayer, 2011). Primers were designed for six loci (see breeding season, ovipositing briefly before closing each consecutive Table 1) using Primer3 (Rozen & Skaletsky, 2000). To enable fluo- brood cell (see e.g. Westrich, 1989; this study). If only sperm from rescent marking for fragment size analyses an M13 tail was added the first copulation(s) is used by a female to fertilize eggs to either the forward or reverse primer of each primer pair throughout the season, then a ‘sit-and-wait’ strategy such as (Table 1). The decision was based on a NetPrimer (Premier Biosoft, resource defence is unlikely to be favoured by selection over more Palo Alto, CA, U.S.A.) analysis. ‘pre-emptive’ male strategies such as patrolling at nest sites. If, however, delayed mating has a high probability of siring offspring, Flight Cage Experiments then resource defence is more beneficial. Clearly, establishing patterns of sperm use is important for understanding the evolution Mesh-covered flight cages of 4 Â 2 Â 2 m were installed in the of male resource defence. Botanical Garden of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in the summers The term ‘last male sperm precedence’ (henceforth LMSP) of 2011 and 2012 (Fig. 1). The cages contained two longitudinal usually refers to experimental situations in which two males are rows of freely planted Betonica officinalis (for pollen and nectar), allowed to mate in sequence and the second mate sires more than potted plants of Stachys byzanthina (for plant wool, which females 50% of the offspring. It has been found in many species and groups use to construct brood cells), potted plants of Pelargonium sp. and of insects, and might be caused by a range of mechanisms including Crepis capillaris (for trichome secretions, which females apply on stratification of sperm from different males in the sperm-storing collected plant wool; Müller, Töpfl, & Amiet, 1996), and clusters of organ of the female (last in, first out), sperm digestion or removal split bamboo internodes (length 9e27 cm, inner diameter 1.2e by the female, or sperm removal by the second male (Simmons, 2.2 cm) fixed to wooden poles (see also Payne, Schildroth, & Starks 2001). In bees, the contribution of sequential mates to paternity 2011). Wild female and male A. manicatum were captured at their has only been studied in honeybees, Apis mellifera, with mostly food plants in the Botanical Gardens of Bochum and Düsseldorf, negative results, that is, sperm from sequential copulations appears marked individually with dots of acrylic paint on the mesosoma, to be mixed in the queen spermatheca to an extent that no and introduced into these cages.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Anthidium Manicatum, an Invasive Bee, Excludes a Native Bumble Bee, Bombus Impatiens, from floral Resources
    Biol Invasions https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1889-7 (0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().,-volV) ORIGINAL PAPER Anthidium manicatum, an invasive bee, excludes a native bumble bee, Bombus impatiens, from floral resources Kelsey K. Graham . Katherine Eaton . Isabel Obrien . Philip T. Starks Received: 15 April 2018 / Accepted: 21 November 2018 Ó Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018 Abstract Anthidium manicatum is an invasive pol- response to A. manicatum presence. We found that B. linator reaching widespread distribution in North impatiens avoided foraging near A. manicatum in both America. Male A. manicatum aggressively defend years; but despite this resource exclusion, we found no floral territories, attacking heterospecific pollinators. evidence of fitness consequences for B. impatiens. Female A. manicatum are generalists, visiting many of These results suggest A. manicatum pose as significant the same plants as native pollinators. Because of A. resource competitors, but that B. impatiens are likely manicatum’s rapid range expansion, the territorial able to compensate for this resource loss by finding behavior of males, and the potential for female A. available resources elsewhere. manicatum to be significant resource competitors, invasive A. manicatum have been prioritized as a Keywords Exotic species Á Resource competition Á species of interest for impact assessment. But despite Interspecific competition Á Foraging behavior Á concerns, there have been no empirical studies inves- Pollination tigating the impact of A. manicatum on North Amer- ican pollinators. Therefore, across a two-year study, we monitored foraging behavior and fitness of the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) in Introduction With increasing movement of goods and people Electronic supplementary material The online version of around the world, introduction of exotic species is this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1889-7) con- increasing at an unprecedented rate (Ricciardi et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Wisconsin Bee Identification Guide
    WisconsinWisconsin BeeBee IdentificationIdentification GuideGuide Developed by Patrick Liesch, Christy Stewart, and Christine Wen Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) The honey bee is perhaps our best-known pollinator. Honey bees are not native to North America and were brought over with early settlers. Honey bees are mid-sized bees (~ ½ inch long) and have brownish bodies with bands of pale hairs on the abdomen. Honey bees are unique with their social behavior, living together year-round as a colony consisting of thousands of individuals. Honey bees forage on a wide variety of plants and their colonies can be useful in agricultural settings for their pollination services. Honey bees are our only bee that produces honey, which they use as a food source for the colony during the winter months. In many cases, the honey bees you encounter may be from a local beekeeper’s hive. Occasionally, wild honey bee colonies can become established in cavities in hollow trees and similar settings. Photo by Christy Stewart Bumble bees (Bombus sp.) Bumble bees are some of our most recognizable bees. They are amongst our largest bees and can be close to 1 inch long, although many species are between ½ inch and ¾ inch long. There are ~20 species of bumble bees in Wisconsin and most have a robust, fuzzy appearance. Bumble bees tend to be very hairy and have black bodies with patches of yellow or orange depending on the species. Bumble bees are a type of social bee Bombus rufocinctus and live in small colonies consisting of dozens to a few hundred workers. Photo by Christy Stewart Their nests tend to be constructed in preexisting underground cavities, such as former chipmunk or rabbit burrows.
    [Show full text]
  • LIFE 4 Pollinators Bees of the Mediterranean Hairs Are Used to Gather the Pollen Grains
    NO OR FEW HAIR FEW OR NO HAIRY ANDRENID A may be present. be may E COLITIDAE E D I GU D IEL F morphogenus more than one class per category category per class one than more morphogenus COLITIDAE n each each n I classes. several propose we categories, protection under the common agricultural policy. agricultural common the under protection or each of these these of each or F colour. tegument and hairs strategy, the pollinators initiative and biodiversity biodiversity and initiative pollinators the strategy, MEGACHILIDAE he traits you need to observe at first are size, size, are first at observe to need you traits he T legislation, including amongst others the biodiversity biodiversity the others amongst including legislation, HALICTIDAE morphogenera defined by few traits. few by defined morphogenera U policy and and policy U E of range a to contribute wil project he T regroup them in few big groups of species called called species of groups big few in them regroup the remaining high-value pollinator habitats. pollinator high-value remaining the MEGACHILIDAE ees species are not easy to identify, but we we but identify, to easy not are species ees B and ensure sustainable management and restoration of of restoration and management sustainable ensure and the level of individual species individual of level the to address the main drivers behind pollinator decline decline pollinator behind drivers main the address to recognised within 15 morpho-groups and not at at not and morpho-groups 15 within recognised obstacles to proper planning of successful programmes programmes successful of planning proper to obstacles APIDAE morphological traits only, allows the bees to be be to bees the allows only, traits morphological his knowledge gap is one of the main main the of one is gap knowledge his T diversity.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017 City of York Biodiversity Action Plan
    CITY OF YORK Local Biodiversity Action Plan 2017 City of York Local Biodiversity Action Plan - Executive Summary What is biodiversity and why is it important? Biodiversity is the variety of all species of plant and animal life on earth, and the places in which they live. Biodiversity has its own intrinsic value but is also provides us with a wide range of essential goods and services such as such as food, fresh water and clean air, natural flood and climate regulation and pollination of crops, but also less obvious services such as benefits to our health and wellbeing and providing a sense of place. We are experiencing global declines in biodiversity, and the goods and services which it provides are consistently undervalued. Efforts to protect and enhance biodiversity need to be significantly increased. The Biodiversity of the City of York The City of York area is a special place not only for its history, buildings and archaeology but also for its wildlife. York Minister is an 800 year old jewel in the historical crown of the city, but we also have our natural gems as well. York supports species and habitats which are of national, regional and local conservation importance including the endangered Tansy Beetle which until 2014 was known only to occur along stretches of the River Ouse around York and Selby; ancient flood meadows of which c.9-10% of the national resource occurs in York; populations of Otters and Water Voles on the River Ouse, River Foss and their tributaries; the country’s most northerly example of extensive lowland heath at Strensall Common; and internationally important populations of wetland birds in the Lower Derwent Valley.
    [Show full text]
  • Nest Site Selection in the European Wool-Carder Bee, Anthidium Manicatum, with Methods for an Emerging Model Species*
    Apidologie (2011) 42:181 – 191 Original article c INRA/DIB-AGIB/EDP Sciences, 2010 DOI: 10.1051/apido/2010050 Nest site selection in the European wool-carder bee, Anthidium manicatum, with methods for an emerging model species* Ansel Payne 1,DustinA.Schildroth2,PhilipT.Starks 3 1 Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, NY 10024 New York, USA 2 Department of Psychology, University of New England, ME 04005 Biddeford, USA 3 Department of Biology, Tufts University, MA 02155 Medford, USA Received 6 February 2010 – Revised 11 May 2010 – Accepted 12 May 2010 Abstract – For many organisms, choosing an appropriate nest site is a critical component of reproductive fitness. Here we examine nest site selection in the solitary, resource defense polygynous bee, Anthidium manicatum. Using a wood-framed screen enclosure outfitted with food sources, nesting materials, and bam- boo trap nests, we show that female bees prefer to initiate nests in sites located high above the ground. We also show that nest sites located at higher levels are less likely to contain spiderwebs, suggesting an adaptive explanation for nest site height preferences. We report size differences between this study’s source populations in Boston, Massachusetts and Brooklyn, New York; male bees collected in Boston have smaller mean head widths than males collected in Brooklyn. Finally, we argue that methods for studying captive populations of A. manicatum hold great promise for research into sexual selection, alternative phenotypes, recognition systems, and the evolution of nesting behavior. Megachilidae / introduced species / solitary bee / enclosure methods 1. INTRODUCTION biased sexual size dimorphism unusual among bees (Darwin, 1871; Severinghaus et al., 1981; The European wool-carder bee, Anthidium Shreeves and Field, 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Common Pollinators of British Columbia – a Visual Identification
    COMMON POLLINATORS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA A Visual Identification Guide Created by Border Free Bees and the Environmental Youth Alliance 1 · Navigation Honey Bee Bumble Bee Other Bees Hover Fly Butterfly Wasp Navigation 2 Introduction 3 Insight Citizen Science 3 Basic Insect Anatomy Pollinator Categories 4 Honey Bee 8 Bumble Bee 12 Other Bees 20 Hover Fly 24 Butterfly 28 Wasp 31 Complimentary Resources 32 Acknowledgments 33 Field Notes Introduction This visual guide was created to help as a field guide to use in comparing educate the public on how to identify closely similar species. Rather, treat common pollinators in British Columbia. this guide as a visual aid to direct your Bees are by far the most representative skills towards different families of group, and critically important bees and general characteristics you to providing pollination service to may be able to see while outdoors. terrestrial ecosystems and agricultural The guide breaks pollinators down landscapes. They effectively transfer into 6 categories: Honey Bees, Bumble pollen with feather-like hairs on their Bees, Other Bees, Wasps, Hover Flies and bodies capturing pollen grains. It is Butterflies. With a basic understanding estimated that there are around 500 of the characteristics that differentiate species of bees in British Columbia. these types of pollinators you can This guide serves as an introduction to participate in pollinator citizen science the common groups of pollinators that programs with ease. you may observe, and does not stand Basic Insect Anatomy Antenna Proboscis (tongue) Compound Eye Insight is a mobile app created by Border Free Bees that Thorax makes it easy for citizens to record pollinator observations Forewing using their smart phones.
    [Show full text]
  • Wool Carder Bee
    Colorado Insect of Interest European Wool Carder Bee Scientific Name: Anthidium manicatum (L.) Order: Hymenoptera (Bees, Wasps, Ants, Sawflies) Family: Megachilidae (Leafcutter Bees) Figure 1. Female wool carder bee collecting Identification and Descriptive Features: The nectar. wool carder bee is robust bodied and approximately the size of a honey bee. The abdomen is not very hairy and is brightly patterned with yellow and black, similar to the coloration of a yellowjacket wasp. Males are a bit larger than females, have spikes visible from the abdomen, and often have darker markings. Distribution in Colorado: The wool carder bee is a European species that has only recently (ca 2009) been recognized as present in Colorado. However, this insect is easily moved by humans Figure 2. Male wool carder bee resting on and it is already known to be present in many lamb’s-ear leaf. The plant hairs of this plant are areas of the Front Range and may now be a used by females in nest construction. widespread inhabitant of flower gardens throughout the state. Where ever it does occur it will be found near hairy leaved plants that the insect uses for nest construction, particularly lamb’s-ear (Stachys byzantina). Life History and Habits: The wool carder bee is a solitary bee that nests in existing cavities. In gardens such sites may include cracks in walls or building foundations and knotholes or drill holes in wood. Nest cells are produced that use balls of hairs shaved from leaves and stems by the mother to surround the cell of the developing bee larva.
    [Show full text]
  • Design and Testing of a National Pollinator and Pollination Monitoring Framework
    Design and Testing of a National Pollinator and Pollination Monitoring Framework A report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Scottish Government and Welsh Government. April 2016. Authors: Claire Carvell1, Nick Isaac1, Mark Jitlal1, Jodey Peyton1, Gary Powney1, David Roy1, Adam Vanbergen1, Rory O’Connor2, Catherine Jones2, Bill Kunin2, Tom Breeze3, Mike Garratt3, Simon Potts3, Martin Harvey4, Janice Ansine4, Richard Comont5, Paul Lee6, Mike Edwards6, Stuart Roberts7, Roger Morris8, Andy Musgrove9, Tom Brereton10, Cathy Hawes11 and Helen Roy1. 1 NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology 2 University of Leeds 3 University of Reading 4 The Open University 5 Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) 6 Hymettus Ltd. and 7 on sub-contract with Hymettus 8 Bright Angel Coastal Consultants Ltd 9 British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) 10 Butterfly Conservation (BC) 11 James Hutton Institute (JHI) Defra project WC1101: Design and Testing of a National Pollinator and Pollination Monitoring Framework FINAL REPORT Project details Project title: Design and testing of a National Pollinator and Pollination Monitoring Framework Defra Project Officer: Mark Stevenson Name and address of Contractor: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8BB, UK Contractor’s Project Manager: Dr Claire Carvell Project start date: 1st May 2014 End date: 31st December 2015 This report should be cited as: Carvell, C., Isaac, N. J. B., Jitlal, M., Peyton, J., Powney, G. D., Roy, D. B., Vanbergen, A. J., O’Connor, R. S., Jones, C. M., Kunin, W. E., Breeze, T. D., Garratt, M. P. D., Potts, S. G., Harvey, M., Ansine, J., Comont, R.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Invasion by Anthidium Manicatum (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): Assessing Potential Distribution in North America and Beyond
    Global invasion by Anthidium manicatum (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): assessing potential distribution in North America and beyond James P. Strange, Jonathan B. Koch, Victor H. Gonzalez, Lindsay Nemelka & Terry Griswold Biological Invasions ISSN 1387-3547 Volume 13 Number 9 Biol Invasions (2011) 13:2115-2133 DOI 10.1007/s10530-011-0030-y 1 23 Author's personal copy Biol Invasions (2011) 13:2115–2133 DOI 10.1007/s10530-011-0030-y ORIGINAL PAPER Global invasion by Anthidium manicatum (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): assessing potential distribution in North America and beyond James P. Strange • Jonathan B. Koch • Victor H. Gonzalez • Lindsay Nemelka • Terry Griswold Received: 8 July 2010 / Accepted: 20 May 2011 / Published online: 22 June 2011 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. (outside the USA) 2011 Abstract The wool carder bee, Anthidium manica- model predicted a much broader distribution of A. tum, is the most widely distributed unmanaged bee in manicatum (214% increase); whereas, the South the world. It was unintentionally introduced to North American model predicted a narrower distribution America in the late 1960s from Europe, and subse- (88% decrease). The poor predictive power of the quently, into South America, New Zealand and the latter model in estimating suitable habitats in the Canary Islands. We provide information on the local invasive South American range of A. manicatum distribution, seasonal abundance and sex ratio of suggests that the bee may still be limited by the A.manicatum from samples collected in an intensive bioclimatic constraints associated with a novel envi- two-year survey across Utah, USA. Anthidium man- ronment. Estimates of niche similarity (D) between icatum was detected in 10 of the 29 Utah counties, the native and invasive models find that the North largely in urban and suburban settings.
    [Show full text]
  • Pollination Artwork by Olisavia Veliz 2014 the Bumblebee, Having Visited Other Flowers, Is Carrying a Lot of Pollen on Its Fuzzy Body
    Pollination Artwork by Olisavia Veliz 2014 The bumblebee, having visited other flowers, is carrying a lot of pollen on its fuzzy body. pollen pollen basket pollen stigma Then, when the bumblebee lands on a new flower, the pollen can be rubbed off onto the stigma, the female part of stigma the flower, where it can pollinate the pollen tube flower. ovule Urban Pollination Project www.urbanpollinationproject.org Artwork by Alyssa Suzumura 2014 Urban Pollination Project www.urbanpollinationproject.org Northwest Pollinators Artwork by Olisavia Veliz 2014 Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) Hummingbirds are attracted to red flowers, which are typically tubular. Their faces become dusted with pollen when they forage for nectar. Hoverfly (Syrphidae sp.) Hoverflies, seen hovering over flowers, are considered to be the second most important pollinator after bees. While bees can carry more pollen on their fuzzy bodies, hoverflies compensate by making a greater number of flower visits. White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata) After dark, moths take over the night shift for pollination, though some are also active by day. Moths typically visit white or pale flowers that are trumpet-shaped, Urban Pollination Project www.urbanpollinationproject.org open at night, and perfume-scented. Local Bee Diversity Our local bees have very different nesting and feeding habits, and are active at different times in the season! Artwork by Olisavia Veliz 2014 Bumblebee (Bombus sp.) Mason bee (Osmia sp.) ~14mm ~7mm Mason bees have fuzzy bellies! Honeybee (Apis mellifera)
    [Show full text]
  • WLGF Pollinator Planting List
    Suggested Plant List for Pollinators, September 2014 This list has been produced by Jan Miller on behalf of the North Wales Wildlife Trust and Marc Carlton on behalf of the Wildlife Gardening Forum, at the request of the Welsh Government’s Pollinator Task Force. The authors recognise that producing planting lists for pollinators is not a straightforward exercise. There are still many areas where further research is required in order to improve our understanding of the needs of pollinating insects and the best planting schemes to cater for them. One of the Wildlife Gardening Forum’s aims is to promote more evidence-based research to increase our knowledge and understanding of this subject. This list is based on the compilers’ personal experience over many years as gardeners and naturalists, and incorporates Jan’s work investigating plants for butterflies on behalf of Butterfly Conservation and uses their data sent in by members over twenty years. The list includes a selection of forage plants useful for adult butterflies, moths, hoverflies, bumblebees and solitary bees, which together make up the vast majority of pollinators in Wales. Plants recommended as larval food plants for butterflies and some moths have also been included. Specialised lists of flowers that are recommended as forage for honeybees have been published for many years within the beekeeping community and so we have not specifically covered honeybees in our list, although many of the flowers on our list will be used by honeybees. The list is in two parts. The first part is a list of suggested garden plants. We have only selected flowers which are garden-worthy, easily obtainable, well-known, and widely acknowledged as being attractive to pollinating insects.
    [Show full text]
  • Megachilidae) in Northwest California
    HOST-PLANT SPECIALIZATION AND NESTING BIOLOGY OF ANTHIDIUM PLACITUM (MEGACHILIDAE) IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA By Christopher James Pow A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Humboldt State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Biology Committee Membership Dr. Michael R. Mesler, Committee Chair Dr. Victor H. Gonzalez, Committee Member Dr. Erik S. Jules, Committee Member Dr. John O. Reiss, Committee Member Dr. Erik S. Jules, Program Graduate Coordinator May 2019 ABSTRACT HOST-PLANT SPECIALIZATION AND NESTING BIOLOGY OF ANTHIDIUM PLACITUM (MEGACHILIDAE) IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA Christopher James Pow • 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 in California, USA. Pollen use was determined via microscopic examination of samples taken from 244 foraging females and 13 larval provisions. Naturally occurring nests were difficult to find, so I deployed aerial trap nests and created clusters of artificial soil cavities in an effort to obtain nest cells and determine preferred nesting substrate. Light microscopy and SEM were used to identify nest cell trichomes and to check females for specialized clypeal and basitarsal hairs.
    [Show full text]