EDITORIAL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES OF L ANDCARE RESEARCH Dr D. Choquenot Landcare Research Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand Dr R. J. B. Hoare Landcare Research Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand REPRESENTATIVE OF U NIVERSITIES Dr R.M. Emberson c/- Bio-Protection and Ecology Division P.O. Box 84, Lincoln University, New Zealand REPRESENTATIVE OF MUSEUMS Mr R.L. Palma Natural Environment Department Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa P.O. Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand REPRESENTATIVE OF O VERSEAS I NSTITUTIONS Dr M. J. Fletcher Director of the Collections NSW Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit Forest Road, Orange NSW 2800, Australia * * * SERIES EDITOR Dr T. K. Crosby Landcare Research Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand Fauna of New Zealand Ko te Aitanga Pepeke o Aotearoa Number / Nama 57 Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) B. J. Donovan Donovan Scientific Insect Research, Canterbury Agriculture and Science Centre, Lincoln, New Zealand [email protected] Manaaki W h e n u a P R E S S Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand 2007 4 Donovan (2007): Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) Copyright © Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd 2007 No part of this work covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping information retrieval systems, or otherwise) without the written permission of the publisher. Cataloguing in publication Donovan, B. J. (Barry James), 1941– Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) / B. J. Donovan – Lincoln, N.Z. : Manaaki Whenua Press, Landcare Research, 2007. (Fauna of New Zealand, ISSN 0111–5383 ; no. 57). ISBN 978-0-478-09389-6 I. Title II. Series UDC 595.799 Suggested citation: Donovan, B. J. 2007. Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 57, 295 pp. Prepared for publication by the series editor and the author using computer-based text processing, layout, and printing at Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand. M~ori text by W. Te Rakihawea, Ngaruawahia. Published by Manaaki Whenua Press, Landcare Research, P.O. Box 40, Lincoln, Canterbury, N.Z. Website: http://www.mwpress.co.nz/ Printed by PrintLink Ltd, Wellington Date of publication 7 September 2007 Front cover: Female Leioproctus (Leioproctus) huakiwi Donovan foraging on Hebe brachysiphon (Photograph Robert Lamberts, Crop & Food). Publication of the Fauna of New Zealand series is the result of a research investment by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology under contract number C09X0501. Fauna of New Zealand 57 5 POPULAR SUMMARY HE WHAKARAPOPOTOTANGA Class Insecta Order Hymenoptera Superfamily Apoidea Families Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae Illustration / Whakaahua: Larva of Leioproctus (Nesocolletes) fulvescens (Smith) on a pollen ball in a Bees cell. Dillons Point, Blenheim MB, 8 January 1980. Photo- The bees present in New Zealand are not as colourful nor as graph B. J. Donovan. conspicuous compared to the range of species of bees that occurs in many other countries of comparable size. Exceptions are the big, burly buzzing queen bumble bees which are recognised immediately by most people, but native Ng~ P§ species are superficially rather fly-like when on the wing, K~Çre i p‘r~ rawa te muramura o ng~ tae o ng~ p§ ka kitea i and even honey bees might sometimes be confused with Aotearoa, k~ore hoki he ~huatanga kÇhure ina whakaritea vespid wasps. The only occasions under which some native ki te huhua o ng~ momo o te p§ ka kitea i te maha atu o ng~ bees have been noticed by the public are when nest tumuli whenua he rite te rahi ki Aotearoa. H~unga anÇ ng~ kuini p§ have appeared in nearly-bare soil of lawns and unsealed rorohã, he rahi, he tetere, ka wawe te mÇhiotia atu e te driveways, and gardens, and foredune areas of beaches where nuinga o te tangata. Ko ng~ momo m~ori hei titiro atu e people might be sunbathing. However, in New Zealand a rere ana, he ~hua rite k‘ ki te rango. Ko ng~ p§ honi kei characteristic that distinguishes female bees (except queen pÇh‘h‘tia he w~pi nÇ te wh~nau Vespidae. Ko ng~ w~ anake honey bees) and the worker caste of bumble and honey bees e kitea ai e te tangata, kia puta ake nei ng~ kÇhanga ahuahu is that they collect nectar and pollen with which to feed ki te oneone o te p~t§t§, ki ng~ ara k~inga e noho h§rakore themselves and their young. When collecting pollen and ana, ki ng~ m~ra, me ng~ t~huna o te tahamoana e p~ina r~ nectar, pollen grains are often moved from the anthers or ana pea ‘tahi t~ngata. Heoi anÇ, i Aotearoa ko t‘tahi the male parts of flowers, to the stigmas or female parts, a ~huatanga e mÇhiotia ai ng~ p§ uwha (kaua ng~ kuini p§ process which is called pollination. The pollen grains on honi) me te hunga kaimahi p§ rorohã, p§ honi, ko tÇ r~tou stigmas then germinate, and eventually seeds and/or fruits kohi miere kohi hae hei kai m~ r~tou ko ~ r~tou uri. I te w~ are formed. Seed production is of course essential for the e kohi hae ana me te miere, ka mauria ng~ pata hae atu i ng~ maintenance of both our native and introduced flora, and hematoa ng~ w~hanga toa o te pu~wai, ki ng~ tauhae ng~ for many commercially valuable crops bees are by far the w~hanga uwha, e k§ia nei ko te tukanga ruinga hae. K~tahi number one pollinators. Because bees are tied to flowers for ng~ pata hae kei ng~ hematoa ka t§naku, ~ n~wai ka puta ko their food, and more so than any other group of insects, as ng~ k~kano, ko ng~ hua. He tino kaupapa hoki te whai a group they are probably the most important pollinators, k~kano kia mauritau tonu ai ~ t~tou tipu m~ori me ~ t~tou and therefore are often considered to be ‘keystone’ species tipu r~waho. ~, mÇ te nuinga o ng~ tipu m~ra nui te w~riu in the whole chain of events that results in seeds and fruits. arumoni ko ng~ p§ ng~ tino kairuihae. N~ te noho paihere o But not all characteristics of bees are beneficial. Almost te p§ ki ng~ pu~wai hei p~taka kai, i tua atu i ‘tahi atu rÇpã everyone has been stung by a honey or bumble bee, annually pepeke ko tÇ r~tou rÇpã te mutunga k‘ mai o ng~ kairuihae. hundreds have to seek medical treatment, and once in a N~ reira r~tou e k§ia ai ko te momo pupuri i te mana i roto while someone dies. Also, seed production of some species i te tukanga e hanga mai ai ng~ k~kano me ng~ hua. K~ore ~ ~ § ~ of weeds might be increased. On the other hand most people ko te katoa o ng huatanga o te p i pai. Ko t tou katoa pea kua werohia e te p§ honi, e te p§ rorohã r~nei, e hia rau ka know that honey bees produce honey and beeswax, and tirohia e te rata ia tau ~, he w~ anÇ e mate ai t‘tahi tangata. even royal jelly, and increasingly both introduced and native Ar~ anÇ pea ko te kaha ake o te whakaputa k~kano a ‘tahi bees are being recognised as essential pollinators of some taru. Engari t‘r~ e mÇhio pai ana te nuinga o ng~i tangata ko very valuable crops, for example kiwifruit, and onion seed t~ te p§ honi he mahi miere me te w~kihi ar~ te ware p§, ~ me crops, without which yields would be uneconomic. te tiere ariki. Kua kaha ake te kitea he tino kairuihae ng~ p§ (continued overleaf) (haere tonu) 6 Donovan (2007): Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) The general resemblance of many of our native bees to (‘r~ i whakaurua mai me ng~ p§ m~ori) o ng~ m~ra kai whai some flies has not only limited their recognition as bees by w~riu rawa atu ar~ te huakiwi, te aniana, ka kore hoki he ~ the public, but within the group of large hairy species the hu nga kua tino raru te taha arumoni. N~ te rite o te ~hua o te nuinga o ~ t~tou p§ m~ori ki te close similarity among a number of species has made rango e kore ai e mÇhiotia he p§ tãturu e te marea tãmatanui, identification difficult even by entomologists. engari i roto i te rÇpã o ng~ momo pãhuruhuru nei ko te Now, a total of 41 species of bees are known from the tino riterite o ‘tahi momo ka uaua tonu te tautuhia e ng~ greater New Zealand biogeographical area, of which 27 are kaim~tai pepeke hoki. endemic, that is they are found only in New Zealand, and of I t‘nei w~, 41 ng~ momo p§ e mÇhiotia ana i te whenua these, 14 are new to science. Another five species are also nei o Aotearoa, 27 o ‘nei he toiwhenua, ar~ ka kitea i present in Australia and clearly have originated from there, Aotearoa anake, ka mutu 14 o ‘nei he hÇu ki te ao pãtaiao. one other species is European in origin, and eight species E rima atu ng~ momo kei Ahitereiria hoki me te mÇhiotia i have been purposely imported from the Northern Hemisphere. pãtake mai i reira, kotahi atu momo i pãtake mai i âropi, Of the endemic species, 18 are considered to be as primitive me ng~ momo e waru he mea ~ta whakauru mai nÇ te Tuakoi as any anywhere.