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COMMON POLLINATORS of BRITISH COLUMBIA a Visual Identification Guide

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COMMON POLLINATORS of BRITISH COLUMBIA a Visual Identification Guide COMMON POLLINATORS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA A Visual Identification Guide The 2nd Edition Created by Border Free Bees and the Environmental Youth Alliance Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 About This Guide 3 Insight Citizen Science 4 Pollinator Classification 5 Basic Bee Anatomy Pollinator Categories 6 Honey Bee 10 Bumble Bee 14 Hairy Belly Bee 18 Mining Bee 24 Hover Fly 28 Butterfly 32 Wasp 35 Complimentary Resources 36 Acknowledgments 37 Field Notes Introduction Pollinators play a critical role in supporting both terrestrial ecosystems and agricultural landscapes. Female bees are the most efficient pollinators, as they spend their lifetimes actively collecting both pollen and nectar to feed to their kin, visiting hundreds to thousands of flowers in the process. Other types of pollinators, such as male bees, flies, butterflies and most pollinating wasps, visit flowers to feed on nectar, a vital energy source. During this process, pollen passively brushes onto their bodies, and is transported between flowers for pollination. 2 About This Guide This visual guide was created to help educate the public on how to identify common pollinators in British Columbia. It is estimated INSIGHT is a mobile app created by Border Free Bees that makes it easy for citizens to record that there are around 500 species of bees pollinator observations using their smart phones. in British Columbia. To tell different species This guidebook was designed to help citizens apart, you often need to compare very minute identify the seven categories of pollinators used in characteristics, such as the shapes of veins on the app. By recording your observations with the their wings, which can be challenging without app, you will be contributing valuable information to citizen science. Growing our understanding of a microscope and an expert eye. This guide the status of pollinators in British Columbia will breaks down pollinators into 7 simplified, and allow for more informed decisions in the effort to easily recognizable categories: Honey Bees, support pollinator populations. To participate as a Bumble Bees, Hairy Belly Bees, Mining Bees, citizen scientist, visit insightcitizenscience.com. Wasps, Hover Flies and Butterflies. 3 Pollinator Classification It is important to note that, from the lens of The categories in this book use familiar names to scientific classification, these groupings differ describe groups of pollinators that share similar in both number and diversity of species that physical characteristics (such as body shape) and are included. For example, the Honey Bee ecological roles (such as foraging practices and group contains a single species of bee (Apis nesting needs). With a basic understanding of mellifera), while Hairy Belly Bee covers a family the characteristics that differentiate these types containing hundreds of species (Megachilidae). of pollinators, you can participate in pollinator On the title page for each pollinator category citizen science programs with ease. Further, by in this guide, the names in brackets indicate identifying which types of pollinators live in your the taxonomic classification for each type of backyard or local park, you can begin reaching pollinator included in the group. which flowers and habitat resources are needed to support their conservation. 4 Basic Bee Anatomy Over millions of years of co-evolution with plants, bees have Antenna evolved specialized body parts to help them accomplish Proboscis (“tongue”) the day to day needs of both themselves, and flowers. This Compound Eye diagram depicts the basic components of bee anatomy. Thorax Another notable characteristic on a female bees body are Forewing scopa. These are dense clusters of feather-like hairs on the Hindwing bodies of female bees used to hold pollen grains as they move between flowers and their homes. Depending on the Pollen Baskets type of bee, scopa are usually located on the hind legs or Hind Leg the underside of the abdomen, making it appear yellow in Abdomen colour. Common names for scopa on different types of bees Abdominal Segment include pollen baskets (corbicula), pollen pants, and hairy belly. Keep an eye out for notes on scopa placement to help Sting differentiate the types of bees described in this guide. 5 Honey Bee (Apidae: Apis) Keywords Apis mellifera, also known as the Western honey bee, are Fuzzy long-tongued bees in the family Apidae. Honey bees carry Pollen Baskets pollen on legs in pollen baskets. The Western honey bee Medium Size plays an important role in the economics of agricultural Long Body crop pollination, and is the only bee in North America that Striped makes honey for human consumption. Originally from Yellow Europe, honey bees live in hives containing tens of Orange thousands of female workers and in most circumstances Black need human management (beekeepers) to survive. 6 HONEY BEE Long, narrow body 4 wings General Size Range 3cm 2cm 1cm 5¢ 0cm Pollen basket on tibia (workers) Black and yellow striped abdomen 7 HONEY BEE Western Honey Bee - Apis mellifera Female worker bees carry wet pollen on a dense cluster of hair referred to as pollen baskets, also referred to as their corbicula. Honey bees live in social colonies, with one queen, many workers, and drones. After mating, a queen bee will spend most of her life laying eggs inside the hive. Female worker bees occupy a series of roles throughout their lifespan, from caring for baby bees to collecting nectar and pollen. The primary role of male drone bees is to mate with a virgin queen. They do not have stingers, nor do they gather nectar or pollen. Female Worker Bee Male Drone 8 HONEY BEE Pollen Basket Bumble Bee (Apidae: Bombus) Keywords Bumble bees are in the family Apidae. They are medium to large Very Fuzzy fuzzy bees and usually have a deeper buzz sound than other bee Loud Buzz groups. Bumble bees have queens and workers and therefore Pollen Baskets individuals can vary greatly in size depending on nutrition and their Medium - Large social role in the colony. Like honey bees, female bumble bees also Round Body carry pollen on their hind legs in pollen baskets, also called their Striped corbicula (one on each hind leg). Although bumble bee species Yellow can be observed by the colours on their abdomen, there are often Orange variations in colour, even within a single species. Black 10 BUMBLE BEE 4 wings General Size Range 3cm 2cm 1cm 5¢ 0cm Fuzzy, striped Pollen baskets abdomen on tibia (females) 11 BUMBLE BEE Yellow-Faced Bumblebee Nevada Bumblebee Mixed Bumblebee Bombus vosnesenskii Bombus nevadensis Bombus mixtus Yellow face Mostly black with Hairless Three yellow Black tail Yellow Orange single band of yellow black spot bands Black 12 BUMBLE BEE Two-Form Bumblebee Common Eastern Bumblebee Black-Tailed Bumblebee Bombus bifarius Bombus impatiens Bombus melanopygus Two dots on thorax Yellow thorax Bright orange segments Blonde edges of thorax Black face 1st segment yellow and remaining abdomen black 13 Hairy Belly Bee (Megachilidae) Keywords Hairy belly bees are small to medium-sized solitary bees. Most hairy belly Small bees nest in tunnel-shaped cavities such as holes in trees or bamboo Round Body stakes placed in gardens. Female hairy belly bees repurpose materials Hairy Belly from nature to build walls in these cavities, including leaves, mud and 4 Wings tree bark. Hairy belly bees appear more rounded (bullet-shaped) Metallic Blue than other bees. Females can be identified by a layer of scopa on the Metallic Green underside of their abdomen, often bright yellow when carrying pollen. Dark Colored Males do not have scopa on their bodies. Mason bees, leaf cutter bees and resin bees are all a part of the hairy belly bee category. 14 HAIRY BELLY BEE Round body 4 wings General Size Range 3cm 2cm 1cm 5¢ 0cm Pollen under belly (females) Dark abdomen and thorax 15 Megachilidae carry pollen on the underside of their abdomen HAIRY BELLY BEE > MEGACHILIDAE which is referred to as a “hairy belly“. Often the body of Megachilidae bees are robust (more round) or wider than other families. Western Leafcutter Bee Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee Wool Carder Bee Megachile perihirta Megachile rotundata Anthidium manicatum Hairy belly Hairy belly Hairy belly Black with yellow dot markings on abdomen 16 Blue Orchard Mason Bee Summer Mason Bee [no common name] Osmia lignaria Osmia densa Osmia bella Hairy belly Metallic Metallic blue and green blue and Metallic blue and green Hairy belly green Hairy belly 17 Mining Bee (Andrenidae, Halictidae, Colletidae) Keywords Some females carry dry, dusted pollen on feathered scopa Small along the length of their legs, characteristically called Narrow Body “pollen pants”. Mining bees generally have dark, narrow Pollen Pants bodies and minimal hair. A few species are bright metallic 4 Wings green. The mining bee category includes all ground nesting Minimal Hair bees: miners, sweat bees, and plasterer bees. Dark Colored Metallic Green 18 MINING BEE Long body 4 wings General Size Range 3cm 2cm 1cm 5¢ 0cm Pollen up entire leg (females) Dark abdomen and thorax 19 Species in the Halictidae family are short-tongued bees that nest in the ground. MINING BEE > HALICTIDAE Some species in the family are bright green and female halictids carry dry pollen on the entire length of their legs, characteristically called “pollen pants”. [no common name] Green Metallic Bee [no common name] Halictus rubicundus Agapostemon texanus Dufourea maura Faded stripes Pollen pants Metallic, bright Pollen pants Pollen pants along abdomen green color 20 Andrenidae are short-tongued bees called mining bees because they nest in the MINING BEE > ANDRENIDAE ground. Females carry dry pollen on their hind legs and thorax. All Andrena have short hairs found in depressions on their face called facial fovea. [no common name] [no common name] [no common name] Andrena prunorum Andrena perplexa Andrena pallidifovea Pollen pants Tips of wings appear Pollen pants Pollen pants Facial fovea smoky or burnt 21 Colletidae are short-tongued bees, also called polyester bees that secrete MINING BEE > COLLETIDAE a waterproof lining around their nests to protect their young from water, fungus and bacteria in the soil.
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