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Angiosperms emerged in the Intro to bees and the Cretaceous period, 120 TX/OK Pollinator Project million years ago TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION AND OKLAHOMA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

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History of understanding of plant anatomy Why flowers? and sexuality The Creator’s gift to man Nehemiah Grew The Anatomy of Plants (1682) Sprengel (1793)* observed role of flowers in attracting insects in study of woods cranesbill ◦ the “nectar of these flowers is secreted for the sake of insects, and is protected from rain in order that the insects may get it pure and unspoiled.” Darwin showed the value of cross- fertilization in plants

*1793 Christian Conrad Sprengel, The Secret of Nature in the Form and Fertilization of Flowers Uncovered

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Common agents of pollination Sexual reproduction in wind other insects flowers bees* bats flies birds butterflies fig wasps (Agaonidae) moths mammals beetles wasps

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nectar Importance of pollination pollen Most of the 275,000 known species of lipid secretions Plants go to flowering plants are pollinated by insects great lengths food bodies 66% (80% worldwide) of crops in U.S. are insect to attract pollinated scents insects Pollination allows for plant diversity since even rare resins plants can be pollinated if they can attract insects nectar guides

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Nectar guides Guide pollinators to source of nectar Often invisible except in UV spectrum

Other nectar guide examples

John R. Meyer, North Carolina State University 9 10

Lepidoptera (moth, butterfly) pollination Fly pollination Most (advanced forms) feed with long proboscis usually attracted for nectar Flowers frequently tubular, sweet smelling Syrphid flies feed on pollen Moth pollinated plants generally open at night, white colored flowers tend to be less showy, with strong smell, sometimes malodorous not well-studied

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Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants) pollination Ant pollination rare Bees are most important group 20,000 species of bees worldwide-all anthophilous Plants that depend on bees often bright, with nectar guides

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Apoidea (bees) 4,000 species in North America All feed on nectar and pollen Most species are solitary Bee anatomy Bodies covered with very fine, brushy hairs to trap pollen

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Bees vs wasps Bees usually thicker bodied Paper wasp: note folded wings Bees hairy with pollen or pollen balls on hind legs Wasps long, thinner legs with spines Wasps may have wings longitudinally folded

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Eumenid wasp: Honey bee with folded wings pollen balls

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Pollen coating on bees

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Count the wings Bee vs. fly Fly has two wings, bees four Bee eyes oval-shaped on sides of head, fly eyes larger and often meeting at top of head Bees have long, elbowed antennae, fly antennae short, hair-like

Mark Brown Mark Brown

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Oval-shaped eyes Xylocopa vs Perdita

Large eyes of fly

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Blow fly with aristate antennae

Ilona Loser Ilona Loser Ilona Loser

More flies

By JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) 27 28

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Interesting bee-haviors A B DIADASIA – MINING BEES PROVISION UNDERGROUND TUNNELS WITH POLLEN Which is the bee?

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Hole nesters Carpenter bees Carpenter bee with shiny abdomen

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Carpenter bees can be pests in structures

Donna Race

More carpenter bees

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Xylocopa micans Nectar thief

Leaf cutter bees

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Leaf cutter bee nests Mason bees

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Social bees

Bee hotels

Bumble bees buzz pollinating tomato

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Honey bee Medium sized bee Slow flying Legs hang below as they fly Light orange to black base- color with dark brown bands

Not a native bee: Apis mellifera

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Africanized honey bee

Bee nests and swarming

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Why you don’t want honey bees to nest in your home

Bumble bees, Bombus species

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Decline of Pollinators Like honey bees Causes for Decline: bumble bees • Destruction of habitats carry pollen • Parasites and pathogens • Changing climate mixed with • Overuse of pesticides How to help pollinators: nectar in a • Learn more about bees and pollinators corbicula on hind • Use pollinator friendly plants in landscapes • Give bees nesting places tibia • Avoid pesticides • Spread the word, promote efforts

TheTimes.co.uk

Photo by Tony Wills, Wikipedia 47 48

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You do not need to be Survey a bee expert to instructions participate in this study!

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You will be classifying insects into these categories. HunB (honey bee) BumB (bumble bees) OthB (other bees) Wasp (any wasp) Fly (all flies) Lep (Lepidoptera: Butterflies and moths) HoneyHoney bee bee with pollinia Beet (beetles) Honey bees (HunB)

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Mark Brown Mark Brown David Caeppert Mark Brown Jim Baker Mark Brown Mike Merchant

Bumble bees (BumB) – larger bees with hair on top of abdomen Carpenter bees (OthB) large bees with hairless top of abdomen

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Small native bees (OthB)

Maurice Whalen

Mark Brown Mark Brown

Other native bees (OthB) – pollen covered undersides, hind legs

Molly Jacobson 55 56

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Differences between flies and bees

Bees Flies Eyes more oval, positioned Eyes may surround head, more on sides of head sometimes meeting near top of head Hairy on thorax and Usually less hairy (sometimes) on abdomen Often pollen covered, Pollen usually light, no especially on hind legs, under accumulations on hind legs. abdomen Hind legs with wide segments Hind legs slender for pollen transport Longer elbowed antennae Usually short stubby antennae Syrphid flies (Fly) – may resemble OthB

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Differences between wasps and bees Bees Wasps Usually hairy and thick- Few body hairs. More bodied with bluntly slender. Abdomen somes constricted “waist” borne on slender stalk

Legs (especially hind) with Legs longer, thinner, often broad, hairy segments; with spines. Not usually sometimes with balls or hairy and not carrying accumulations of pollen. masses of pollen on hind Few spines legs.

Wings fold flat over Wings often rest in V- abdomen at rest position. May be folded other flies (Fly) length-wise at rest.

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Wasps & non-bees: paper wasp, Polistes spp. (Wasp) Wasps & non-bees: Mason wasps (Wasp)

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Butterflies and moths (Lep)

Wasps & non-bees: mud daubers (Wasp)

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3 = Above 76% 2= Between 51% and 75% 1 = Between 25% and 50 % 0 = Less than 25%

• Doesn’t have to have bees Pick your patch (2 x 2 ft) • Should be readily available on market Bloom % Examples on Gregg's Mistflower, Conoclinium greggii • Can switch patches during the summer Bloom % rated on 0 to 3 scale. 0 = Less than 25% of plant in bloom, 1 = Between 25% and 50%, 2 = Between 51% and 75%, 3 = Above 76%.

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To go to data app take out your phone and open camera app

3 = Above 76% 2= Between 51% and 75% 1 = Between 25% and 50 % 0 = Less than 25% Or go to https://sixleggedaggie.com/pollinator Bloom % Examples on Texas Sage, Leucophyllum frutenscens Bloom % rated on 0 to 3 scale. 0 = Less than 25% of plant in bloom, 1 = Between 25% and 50%, 2 = Between 51% and 75%, 3 = Above 76%.

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Click on the pop-up link

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