Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(7): 580-587 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 07 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Review Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.807.072 A Review on Diversity, Bio-Ecology, Floral Resources and Behavior of Blue Banded Bees J. Sandeep Kumar1*, B, Rex2, S. Irulandi3 and S. Prabhu3 1Department of Entomology, Agriculture College and Research Institute, Madurai-625104, India 2Department of Plant Pathology, Agriculture College and Research Institute, Madurai-625104, India 3Department of Plant Protection, Horticulture College and Research Institute, Periyakulam-625604, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT K e yw or ds Blue banded bees are solitary bees which are characterized by their Blue banded bees, glittering blue color bands on their abdomen. They construct their nests and Amegilla , Diversity, brood cells for their young ones in soils. The developmental biology of blue Behavior, India banded bees is maximum sixty days and varied according to climatic Article Info conditions. They are polylectic and wild pollinators playing major role in Accepted: crop pollination. Research on blue banded bees is very limited and less 07 June 2019 studies. In this review we will focus on diversity, bio-ecology and behavior Available Online: of blue banded bees. 10 July 2019 Diversity of blue banded bees (Brooks, 1988; Michener, 2000). The two important genera of the tribe Anthophorini are Blue banded bees are Anthophorine bees. An Anthophora and Amegilla which are easily Anthophorine bee was first described by distinguished based on the presence or Linneaus in 1758 as Apis retusa. Latreille absence of arolium. The male genetalia of described first Anthophorine genus in 1802 different Anthophorine bees vary distinctly and in 1803 he proposed the name (Brooks, 1988). They frequently bear metallic Anthophora. Fabricius named a genus as blue or green pubescent bands on metasomal Megilla in 1805. The name Megilla is now terga. They fly in summer. This genus regarded as a junior synonym of Anthophora includes 12 sub genera and 253 species by Michener, (1974). Anthophorine bees are (Brooks, 1988). The genus Amegilla is a now grouped under the family Apidae, sub diverse group of approximately 255 family Apinae and tribe Anthophorini Anthophorine bee species distributed in 580 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(7): 580-587 southern Europe and Mediterranean basin Amegilla in his revision of Egyptian southward throughout Africa and Madagascar Anthophora species Engel (2007) described east into Arabia and in Asia as far as northeast new species of Amegilla from northeastern China, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Egypt viz., Amegilla argophenax and Guinea as well as Australia (Engel, 2007). In differentiated same from the commonly the oriental region there is a large diversity of occurring species. Blue banded bees shows blue banded bee species that are frequently sexual dimorphism, opposite sexes can be confused with each other, typically being differentiated based on their body size where identified as the relatively widespread male bees are smaller than female bees, head Amegilla zonata. Closer examination of these appendages (Clypeal markings are absent in bees reveals that there are multiple distinct male bees, mandibles are short in male bees, species among Southeast Asian “zonata”. antenna is short in female bees than males, Engel (2007) described a new species of number of flagellomeres are eleven in male Amegilla from zonata group and named it as and ten in female, compound eyes are small in Amegilla anekawarna Engel from Malaysia. male bees and sting is absent in male bees) The new species is similar to A. zonata but and blue color metallic bands on metasoma. can be distinguished by the presence of a Gonostylus is lessen to a blister in male bee distinct medioapical blue band on fifth (Sandeep and Muthuraman, 2018). metasomal tergum and by the yellow ventral surface of scape in the female and presence of Nesting biology two dark clypeal markings in male. Rayment (1951) revised 15 Australian species of blue Several workers studied the soil nesting banded bees and grouped them under the behavior of Anthophorine bees (Thorp, 1969; genus Asaropoda. A. dawsoni is Australia‟s Torchio 1974; Brooks, 1983; Norden, 1984; largest Anthophorine bee. In these species Houston, 1991; sandeep and Muthuraman, two types of males i.e. large and small males 2018). Blue banded bees are fossorial bees are present. Males exhibit a bimodal size and build their nests underground (Cane, frequency distribution. Amegilla is the only 1981). Their nests are burrows in soil, either genus occuring in Australia where it is in banks or in flat ground (Michener, 1960). represented by three subgenera Asaropoda, The female bee also pays attention for the Notomegilla and Zonamegilla (Brooks, 1988). surface nature of nesting site and edaphic Lieftinck (1956) revised the oriental attributes of the soil (Cane, 1991). These bees Anthophorine bees of the genus Amegilla and build nests in a variety of soil types like black described sixteen species under these genus soil, clay soil and sandy soil but they always occuring both in Malaysia and Southeast prefer a site with some shelter (Rayment, Asia. Lieftinck (1975) redefined four species 1951). Anthophora edwardsii preferred of Amegilla complex viz., A.florea, A.confusa, crumbly clay-silt in the open areas to loose A. parhypate and A.calceifera in Korea. sandy silt in the vegetated areas (Thorp, Brooks (1988) proposed a subgeneric name 1969). Many soil-dwelling solitary bees make Glossamegilla for Amegilla sp. with long their nests in groups or aggregations where glossa collected from India to the Indo- females nest gregariously and a clumped nest Malayan regions and included 29 species in distribution is found (Batra, 1978).The female the group. Attasopa and Warrit (2012) bee prefers to build the nest at the nesting redescribed the subgeneric position and sites from where it emerged as an adult. This distribution of oriental burrowing bee, phenomenon is termed as philopatry. The Amegilla fimbriata. Michener (1956) included philopatry may be a probable reason for nest 581 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(7): 580-587 aggregations (Norden, 1984). In initiating a cells. Brood cells are cylindrical and urn new nest, a female selects a site and begins to shaped. Waxy coatings were found in inner excavate a burrow by biting at the soil with cell wall of brood cells which would be used her mandibles. The soil is periodically for water proof and larval feed, larval faeces moistened and softened with liquid from the and cast skin was found inside the brood cell. mouth. Females interrupt their burrowing Nests are often built together in one place from time to time and depart on flights away forming nest congregation and the maximum from the nesting area presumably to recharge number of nests was 78 per m-2 (Sandeep and their crop with liquid (Houston, 1991). Muthuraman, 2018). Ground nesting bees sometimes conceal their nest entrances in loose sand under clods or in Developmental biology dense vegetation. However, most of them leave some kind of mound or other tell-tale Blue banded bees are fossorial bees. The life mark at the entrance. The nests are shallow stages of the bees develop inside sealed seated inside the soil and usually less than 10 earthen brood cells. More often invasive cm deep. Excavated soil on horizontal methods are used for studying the life stages surfaces is often heaped in a small cone or of these bees. Of late X-ray computerized delta of irregularly sized pellets, near the nest tomography (CT) scanning is used to study entrance (Cane, 2008). Chimney bee the developmental biology and natural A.abrupta digs a tunnel for its nest and uses enemies of bees (Greco et al., 2006). As in all the excavated soil to build a chimney or turret Hymenopteran insects the sex is determined near nest entrance. Each turret corresponds to by haplodiploidy mechanism. The male bees a single nest (Norden, 1984). Turrerts give develop from haploid eggs and female protection to nest from rain, nearby develop from diploid eggs. The bee larvae are excavations, windblown debris or parasites. reared through mass provisioning. The larval They also function as a land mark for nest food may be a thick liquid or semi-solid in recognition and thermoregulation of nest consistency. Immature life stages of Amegilla, (Brooks, 1983; Norden, 1984). The burrow Asaropoda and Anthophora are similar in descends down as a shaft which ends in urn- morphology (Cardale, 1967). In A.dawsoni shaped terminal cell or a cluster of cells or in the female is capable of producing two kinds a linear series. The inside of the cell is of male‟s viz., namely major males and minor extremely smooth and polished and then males by constructing larger and smaller covered with a heavy layer of white, water brood cells and provisioning the cells with proof material may be flaked off from the cell different amount of food (Tomkins et al., wall made of Dufour‟s gland lipids (Thorp, 2001). Females of Dawson‟s burrowing bees 1969; Cane, 1991). The various substrates have a well-defined brood cell cycle suitable for nesting were studied under pot involving cell construction, waxing, culture experiment. Red soil and potting provisioning, egg laying and cell capping mixture were recorded for best substrates for (Alcock, 1998). Eggs are singly laid by the nesting. Mostly nests were found close to female bee on the larval provision (Cane, edge of pot. The female bee digs out her own 1984). Eggs hatched in about five days and nest burrow of depth 4 - 30 cm using her the larvae developed through four instars by strong mandibles and excavated soil by her eating the larval provision.