Native Bees and Native Plants Hartmut Wisch GENERAL DEFINITIONS BY BOB ALLEN Pollen - individual grains shed from anthers, each contains 1 growth cell and 2 sperm cells Nectar - liquid secreted from nectaries of a plant, often contains sugars, vitamins, etc. Pollination - transfer of pollen to stigma (in angiosperms) or to the ovule (in gymnosperms), usually by means of wind, water, or vector (an animal) Fertilization - union of a sperm cell (1n) and an egg cell (1n) to form a zygote (2n) Nectar-thief (nectar-robber) - an insect that takes nectar without transferring pollen Specialist - feeds on flowers of only a few types of plants Generalist - feeds on flowers of many types of plants Oligolectic (oligo = few) - feeding on flowers of a narrow range of plants, such as a single genus or family; specialist Oligolege - an oligolectic insect; specialist Polylectic (poly = many) - feeding on flowers of a wide range of plants, often unrelated species; generalist Polylege - a polylectic insect; generalist HARTMUT’S SLIDE LIST 1. Sisyrinchium bellum 2. Eschscholzia californica 3. Malacothamnus fremontii 4. Female Halictus tripartitus nectaring in Sidalcea sp. 5. 6. Anthophila = Apiformes “vegetarian wasps with plumose hairs and an obligatory relationship to flowering plants”. Nomada sp. visiting Physaria flowers (Brassicaceae). Diadasia (Coquillettapis) in Sidalcea malviflora. 7. Family Andrenidae. Andrena cerasifolii visiting Rhus trilobata. Common on flowers of many families. 8. Andrena fuscicauda taking nectar in Rhus trilobata. Collects pollen on a variety of plants, including Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae), Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae). 9. Andrena cleodora melanodora - collecting pollen in Ceanothus cordulatus (Rhamnaceae). Montane species, collects pollen principally from Ceanothus. 10. Andrena palpalis - Phacelia oligolege, photo in P. distans; Andrena sola - floral generalist, visits flowers of several families. Here on Verbena lilacina. 11. Floral oligolege Andrena nigripes; Nemophila and Pholistoma. (Polemoniaceae) 12. Andrena prunorum - extreme floral generalist. Here on a garden Zinnia. 13. A. crataegi - Floral generalist, flowers in the Rose family, especially Amelanchier, Rosa (wild), Physocarpus, Prunus; Ericaceae, Fabaceae. 14. Andrena malacothricidis - Asteraceae, especially Malacothrix californica, Layia platyglossa. A. cuneilabris - here taking nectar in Layia platyglossa, but most pollen records from Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae) 15. Andrena submoesta - pollen specialist on Lasthenia spp. 16. Calliopsis barbata collects pollen from Phacelia (Boraginaceae). C. helianthi is known to collect pollen only from Euphorbiaceae. The name stems from an early collection on Helianthus (Asteraceae) 17. C. linsleyi, C. fracta. Both spp. collect pollen principally from Eriodictyon, though C. linsleyi occurs in more xeric areas. Also, C. linsley females measure 9-10.5 mm, females of C. fracta only 5.5-6.5 mm. 18. C. linsleyi 19. Calliopsis obscurella - collects pollen principally from Eschscholzia 20. C. rhodophila - polylectic bee, though frequently collects pollen in Mallows, here Malacothamnus fasciculatus. Page !1 of !4 21. Perdita californica - one of about twenty spp. of Perdita associated with Calochortus spp. Here in the alkaline soil endemic Calochortus striatus. 22. Perdita rivalis - Asteraceae oligolege, known to collect pollen principally from Erigeron, especially E. foliosus. 23. Perdita calochorti - Calochortus oligolege, here in C. invenustus. 24. P. calochorti female 25. P. distropica - Calochortus oligolege. Here C. splendens and C. venustus. 26. Perdita pelargoides - the three known species in subgenus Glossoperdita, with long mouthparts, all collect pollen from Polemoniaceae; here in Navarretia hamata and Eriastrum sapphirinum. 27. Perdita ericameriae - specialist in late-blooming Asteraceae, such as Ericameria, Lepidospartum, Guterrezia; here Ericameria pinifolia. 28. Perdita rhois - very common tiny bee. Polylectic species. Plants listed in order of sampled frequency: Eriogonum fasciculatum, Malosma laurina*, Hesperoyucca whipplei, Baccharis emoryi, Heteromeles arbutifolia*. Plants with asterisk where I find them reliably most of the time in our area. 29. Perdita interrupta, another Eschscholzia specialist. 30. Intro. to family Apidae 31. Xerces poster - Bumble bees 32. Xerces poster - Bumble bees 33. B. melanopygus visiting Polygonum bistortoides. B. morrisoni in Monkshood / Aconitum columbianum 34. Though Bumble bees visit flowers of many plant families, their ability to sonicate (vibrate, or buzz) makes them more effective when visiting flowers whose anthers must be vibrated to release pollen (Ericaceae, Solanaceae). B. vosnesenskii is by far the most common species seen in California. They can be seen collecting pollen on Eschscholzia californica, Salvia spp., Thistles, Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), Solanum. Here B. vosnesenskii on Salvia leucophylla; B. bifarius was taken on an Aster sp. 35. Bombus vosnesenskii collecting pollen in E. californica at coffee stop in Laytonville, CA 36. This Anthophora was visiting Ericameria nauseosa before getting moisture in this seep. 37. Anthophora pacifica - Arctostaphylos species, Ribes aureum 38. Anthophora californica - Many plant families, may use principally one kind depending on where the bee lives. In my garden they collect pollen principally from Sisyrinchium bellum. Posed on Eriogonum crocatum. 39. Anthophora pueblo Orr, 2016 - a floral generalist. 40. Habropoda depressa visiting Salvia mellifera. Have observed them on Salvia (Lamiaceae), Eriodictyon and other Boraginaceae, Berberis (Berberidaceae). 41. Habropoda pallida, a desert dweller, appears to use mostly Larrea tridentata (Zygophyllaceae) for pollen, but also Astragalus lentiginosus. 42. Centris hoffmanseggiae, mostly Zygophyllaceae (Larrea tridentata), and Fabaceae (Prosopis, Parkinsonia). 43. Centris pallida - Fabaceae, mostly Parkinsonia, Dalea, Senegalia (syn. Acacia). 44. C. pallida female 45. Emphorini 46. Diadasia australis species group - Cactaceae, here Cylindropuntia californica. 47. Diadasia australis species group - Cactaceae, here Cylindropuntia californica. 48. Diadasia australis species group - Cactaceae, here Cylindropuntia californica. 49. Diadasia diminuta - Malvaceae, especially Sphaeralcea. 50. Diadasia ochracea Mallows, especially Sphaeralcea ambigua (Malvaceae). 51. Diadasia bituberculata - Morning glory, i.e. Calystegia spp. (Convolvulaceae). 52. Diadasia bituberculata - Morning glory, i.e. Calystegia spp. (Convolvulaceae). 53. Diadasia - sunflower visiting group - Eriophyllum confertiflorum (Asteraceae) at Liebre Mountain. 54. Eucerini (Longhorn bees) - Most are generalists, using pollen of many species. Male on Encelia californica, female nectar-robbing in Salvia cultivar. 55. Female Melissodes communis alopex, visiting Clarkia amoena (Onagraceae) 56. Female Melissodes communis alopex, visiting Clarkia amoena (Onagraceae) Page !2 of !4 57. Peponapis pruinosa, one of two native bees that have evolved with squash (Cucurbitaceae) 58. Peponapis pruinosa, one of two native bees that have evolved with squash (Cucurbitaceae) 59. Anthophorula are pollen generalists, here visiting Eriogonum fasciculatum (Polygonaceae) for nectar. 60. Anthophorula visiting Sidalcea malviflora (Malvaceae) 61. Even cuckoo bees need flight fuel. Xeromelecta californica tanking up in Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Asteraceae), the second in Eriodictyon trichocalyx. 62. Zacosmia maculata male taking nectar in Erigeron foliosus. 63. Nomada spp. getting nectar in Physaria kingii (Brassicaceae), the second one in Cryptantha flowers (Boraginaceae). 64. Nomada ruficornis species group, nectarine in Cryptantha. 65. Three cuckoo bee species: Neolarra californica in Lepidium flavum (Brassicaceae), Neolarra vigilans in Encelia californica, Oreopasites in Camissoniopsis bistorta. 66. Xylocopa californica diamesa visiting Salvia mellifera (Lamiaceae), X. tabaniformis orpifex in Acmispon glaber. 67. Xylocopa varipuncta - female visiting non-native garden Phlomis. Both large (Xylocopa) and small carpenter bees (Ceratina) are floral generalists. 68. Ceratina species. 69. Colletidae - Colletes on Eriogonum nudum, Erysimum capitatum (Brassicaceae), male on finger. 70. Hylaeus visiting Horkelia cuneata (Rosaceae) 71. Hylaeus mesillae on Penstemon heterophyllus 72. Halictidae - male Halictus farinosus visiting Rhus trilobata (Rhamnaceae), another on Ericameria nauseosa 73. Augochlorella pomoniella visiting Sisyrinchium bellum (Iridaceae), and a Phacelia (Boraginaceae) 74. Augochloropsis sp. foraging in Malacothrix californica 75. Both Halictus ligatus (here on Baileya multiradiata / Asteraceae) and H. tripartitus are polylectic bees, visiting flowers of many plant families. 76. Female of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) pilosum species group foraging in Calyptridium monospermum 77. Mostly pollen specialists in this genus. Dufourea females in Phacelia distans (Boraginaceae), and Gilia ochroleuca (Polemoniaceae) 78. Dufourea females in Cryptantha intermedia (Boraginaceae), and Camissoniopsis bistorta. 79. Micralictoides ruficaudus is an Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae) oligolege. 80. Micralictoides ruficaudus is an Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae) oligolege. 81. Sphecodes sp., the only cuckoo bee genus in Halictidae 82. Megachilidae - female Megachile in Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) 83. Anthidium palliventre in Acmispon glaber 84. Anthidium palliventre in Acmispon glaber 85. Anthidium illustre mating on Phacelia cicutaria, but a floral generalist. 86.