Some efforts to conserve and restore leafcutting bees in Egypt

Soliman M. Kamel

Dept. of Plant Protection, Fac. of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt [email protected]

1 Introduction

 Leafcutting bees are considered as a main pollinator of alfalfa world wide.

 Preliminary observation revealed the importance of spp. in pollination of alfalfa at Ismailia Governorate.

Natural nests of Megachile were discovered at many villages in El-Tal Kebir about 50 kilometers west of Ismailia on the delta of Nile River in Egypt (30°33' 30''N, 31°56' 13''E) .

a b c This bee species belongs to the same genus and has similar size of alfalaf leafcutting bees (M. rotundata), which has been used in North America for alfalfa pollination. d e The identified species from the mud walls was mainly M. minutissima.

Life cycle of leafcuttng bees a) egg, b) larva, c) pupa, d) male and e) female of Megachile minutissima

2 Problem definition

In Egypt, wild bees particularly those nest in mud walls are at risk of greatly being reduced because of new housing materials become available to more rural growers.

Artificial nests of leafcutting bees

Since 1997, artificial foam nesting were annually made as a trap of leafcutting bees. These artificial foam nests were distributed in the natural nest of bees.

Natural and artificial nests of Megachile minutissima, this house was destroyed in 2008 and used only for one season.

3 Another example: only this wall has been left from the whole house

The leafcutting bees natural nests

4 Polystyrene foams were used for the artificial nest, each piece was 50 cm length X 12 cm width X 2 cm thickness or 100 cm length X 12 cm width X 2 cm . Each piece contained one hole in every 4 cm foam, and the hole was 10 cm depth, and 6 mm diameter. After sticking the foam pieces above each other, holes were creating in this block and the shelter was performed. Straw papers (10 cm in length and 5.2 mm internal diameter) was inserted in each hole.

The foam pieces which used for nesting the bees

The whole artificial empty nest

5 The whole artificial completed nest

The alfalfa experimental field with the bee shelters

6 Wooden artificial completed nest for Osmia spp.

Nesting rates

 Total numbers of empty new and completed nest tubes were calculated.  Percentage of nesting were 32.04 % new foam in 2005 and 48.3 % new foam in 2006.  The rate varies from area to another, some tube were fully completed by bees and others were not.

7 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000

Number Number of tubes 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Shelters

Number of empty tubes Number of completed tubes

The percentages of bee nesting during season 2005 Total Number of Empty Tubes 26855, T.N. Completed Tubes 8610, with an average 32.06%

7000 6000 5000 4000 3000

2000 Number Number of tubes 1000 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Shelters

Number of empty tubes Number of completed tubes

The percentages of bee nesting during season 2006, Total Number of Empty Tubes 56800, T.N. Completed Tubes 27006, with an average 47.54%

8 Conclusion Megachile minutissima is a promising pollinators of alfalfa in Egypt.

Unfortunately, these bees are under severe risk due to the replacement of concrete houses.

 Most farmers and growers doesn't know the importance and the value of these bees.

Extension programs should be developed to educate and inform farmers about the importance of these bees.

Research developed projects should be carried out to protect, conserve and increase Megachile minutissima and other pollinators as well in Egypt.

9 Studies of some cleptoparsitics associated with Megachile minutissima

. Rozen J. G. and Kamel S. M., (2006). Interspecific Variation in Immature larvae of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Coelioxys ( : Megachillidae). J. of the Kansas entomological society vol. 79 (4) : 348-358.

. Rozen J. G. and Kamel S. M., (2007).Investigation on the biologies and immature stages of the cleptoparasitic bee genera Radoszkowskiana and Coelioxys and their Megachile hosts (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: : Megachilini). American Museum Novitates 3573:1-43.

. Rozen J. G. and Kamel S. M., (2008).Hospicidal Behavior of the Cleptoparasitic Bee Coelioxys (Allocoelioxys) couturnix, Inculding Descriptions of Its Larval Instars ( Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) . American Museum Novitates.

. Rozen J. G. and Kamel S. M., (2009). Hospicidal Behavior of the Cleptoparasitic Sapygaluteomaculata, And Invistigation into Ontogenetic Changes in Its Larval Anatomy (Hymenoptera : Vespidea : ) . American Museum Novitates.

Research collaborators

- Prof Jerome Rozen, American Museum of Natural History - Prof Setev Sheppard, Dept. of Entomology, Washington State University - Jamie Strange, Bee systematic Lab., Idaho University - Karen Strickler, pollinator paradise web manager

10 Bee research Center

Thank you

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