Understanding and sustaining Insect Pollinators insect pollinators in your garden A. Importance of pollinators B. Cast of characters C. Creating habitat Mining bee; CASM Celeste A. Searles Mazzacano, Ph.D. D. Sustaining habitat Presented for EMSWCD E. Projects & resources Flower scarab; CASM © 2016 C. A. Searles Mazzacano yellow-faced bumble bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 1 2 Why are pollinators important? Why are pollinators important? • pollination: transfer of pollen • 70% of flowering plants within or between flowers for pollinated by insects fertilization, seed & fruit set • ~1,000 plants grown • wind, insects, birds, mammals worldwide for food, fibers, drinks, spices, & medicine honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano pollinated by animals Bat Conservation International • most pollinated by bees Importance of bees to food production Bumble bee on echinacea; (Wilson & Carrill, 2016) Wikimedia Commons 3 4 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Who pollinates? Who pollinates? More than bees!!!!! sand wasp; C.A.S. Mazzacano More than insects!!!!! • Wasps • Bats • Flies Tayler/naturepl.com • Hummingbirds • Beetles • Moths & butterflies Bee fly; C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano 5 6 Who pollinates? Who pollinates? summer leafcutter bee, Bumble bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano “Managed” bees are Crown Bees catalog Much more than economically important European honey bees!!!!! • honey bees, bumble bees, - native bees (> 4000 NA spp.) orchard mason bees, alfalfa leafcutter bees ‣ social: bumble bees ‣ solitary: mining, mason, leafcutter, orchard, sweat, digger, and carpenter bees Sweat bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano CA almond grove; Kathy Keatley Garvey 7 8 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Challenges for pollinators Challenges for pollinators Many stressors • Colony Collapse Disorder (2006) in managed honey • habitat loss bee hives • pesticides fouldbrood-infected larvae; Univ. of GA • many bumble bees are also declining dead bees; Rodale’s • diseases (viruses, fungi, bacteria) • much less known about status of other wild bees • parasites (varroa mite, tracheal mite) Varroa mite on bee pupa; Jason Graham, Univ. of FL Franklin’s Bumble Bee; Dana Campbell 9 10 Challenges for pollinators Bees • managed bees may spread & intensify disease in wild bees • wild bees pollinate many plants C.A.S. Mazzacano more efficiently C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano than honey bees C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano 11 12 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Types of flowers pollinated vary • short- vs. long-tongued bees • generalist vs. specialist foragers short-tongued Sphecodes cuckoo sweat bee; Tom Murray long-tongued Eastern Bumble Bee; sankax, Flickr 13 14 Bees Social vs. solitary bees Not all bees are pollinators • solitary: each female builds & provisions own nest • nest parasites (cuckoo bees) • social: shared nests, • “nectar robbers” castes with different roles Coelioxys cuckoo bee; Laura Clark, iNaturalist wild honey bee nest; vickbird nectar-robbing hole; mining bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano 15 16 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Social vs. solitary bees Social vs. solitary bees Social (honey bees, bumble bees, Social (honey bees, bumble bees, some sweat bees) some sweat bees) • several generations at one • members care for offspring C.A.S. Mazzacano time in colony or nest drone & workers; Max Westby, EoL that aren’t theirs • nest may be perennial (honey • division of labor bee) or annual (bumble bee) (reproduction, hive cleaning, brood care, foraging) Bumble bee nest; Panoramedia C.A.S. Mazzacano 17 18 Social vs. solitary bees Social vs. solitary bees Solitary bees (mining bees, Solitary bees (mining bees, mason bees, sweat bees, mason bees, sweat bees, plasterer bees) plasterer bees) • tunnel nesters use existing • one female provisions “cells” interior of Alfalfa leafcutter bee nest board; tunnels in wood or chew USDA ARS in nest where she lays eggs Miner bee on nest; C.A.S. Mazzacano tunnels in pithy twigs • aggregated, communal, • ground nesters dig tunnels semisocial in patches of bare soil Colletes nest aggregation; bumblebee.org Cellophane bee brood cell;NatureWorks 19 20 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees • Mining bees (Andrenidae) Bumble bees (Bombus) • Polyester & yellow-faced bees (Colletidae) • medium to large; robust, hairy • Sweat bees (Halictidae) • yellow, black, orange, white, Anthophoridae; C.A.S. Mazzacano • Mason, carder, leaf-cutter bees or brown hair bands C.A.S. Mazzacano (Megachilidae) • carry pollen & nectar mix in stiff • Carpenter, bumble, hairs (scopa) in concave basket honey bees (Apidae) on hind legs (corbiculum) • Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae) Tri-colored Bumble Bee; Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano themountaincampus, iNat 21 22 Bees Bees The short-haired bumblebee project Bumble bees (Bombus) • generalists on wide range of plants Annual bumble bee colony • buzz pollination Nevada Bumble Bee; Mike Patterson, iNat Fog-belt Bumble Bee; Cara Fitchett, iNat 23 24 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Perennial Honey bees (Apis mellifera) honey bee colony • medium size; hairy body & eyes • brown/black with golden bands wild honey bee hive; C.A.S. Mazzacano • generalists on a queen mates with 12-15 variety of flowers drones • carry pollen in corbiculae Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 25 26 Bees Bees Long-horned bees (Eucera) • small to medium • hairy head & thorax • face may be yellow; pale hair bands on abdomens Eucera; Alvesgaspar, Wikimedia Commons • males with very long antennae 27 28 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Long-horned bees (Melissodes) Long-horned bees (Eucera) • small to medium; robust; • generalist foragers hairy head & thorax • carry pollen on lower part Eucera; Biopix, EoL • hairy hind legs; pale hair of hind legs bands on abdomens • solitary ground-nesters; • males have very long brood cells lined with waxy antennae, may have waterproof secretion yellow face Melissodes; John Baker, iNat Eucera; Hank Wallays, iNat 29 30 Bees Bees Long-horned bees (Melissodes) Small carpenter bees (Ceratina) • prefer sunflower, • small; almost hairless; thick cylindrical abdomen aster, daisy • shiny/metallic black, • carry pollen on blue, green hind legs • may have pale • solitary ground-nesters; markings on face brood cells lined with Melissodes; Laura Jansen Simpson, iNat waxy waterproof secretion Ceratina; Valter Jacinto, EoL 31 32 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Small carpenter bees (Ceratina) Digger bees (Anthophora) • generalists • small to large; robust, hairy • females carry pollen • head & thorax on hind legs densely hairy • solitary nesters in old wood, • may have pale hair pithy stems (sunflower, bands on abdomen blackberry, elderberry) Anthophora; Hank Wallays, EoL Ceratina; Valter Jacinto, EoL 33 34 Bees Bees Digger bees (Anthophora) Metallic green bees (Agapostemon) • generalists & specialists • medium size • females carry pollen • bright metallic under hind legs green or blue • solitary nesters in flat • some with white ground or sloping banks; abdominal bands Anthophorine bee digging out nest tunnel; line cells with oily secretion C.A.S. Mazzacano Agapostemon splendens; Sean McCann, EoL 35 36 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Metallic green bees (Agapostemon) Sweat bees (Halictus) • generalists • medium; black/brown; slightly metallic • females carry pollen on hind legs • pale hair bands on outer portion of each • solitary or communal abdominal segment ground-nesters in deep burrows in flat or sloped soils Agapostemon odoratissimus; Mary Keim, EoL Halictus fulvipes; Valter Jacinto, EoL 37 38 Bees Bees Sweat bees (Halictus) Sweat bees (Lasioglossum) • generalists • similar to Halictus • females carry pollen • pale hair bands on hind legs at base of each abdominal segment • ground-nesters in loose soils; cells lined with waxy secretion Halictus rubicundus; Stanislav Krejcik, EoL Lasioglossum; Steven Miodinow, EoL 39 40 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Mining bees (Andrena) Sweat bees (Lasioglossum) • small to medium; black, • generalists dull metallic blue/green, gray, brown, red • females carry pollen on hind legs • may have pale bands on abdomen • ground-nesters in loose soils; cells lined with waxy secretion • females with patch Lasioglossum; BioImages, EoL of velvety hairs between eyes Andrena; CASM 41 42 Bees Bees Mining bees (Andrena) Carder bees (Anthidium) • generalists & specialists • small to medium • females carry pollen • moderately hairy on hind legs head & thorax • solitary ground-nesters, • black body with often in large aggregations incomplete yellow Andrena; Valter Jacinto, EoL bands on abdomen Anthidium; Anita Gould, iNaturalist 43 44 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators - September 12, 2016 Bees Bees Carder bees (Anthidium) Leafcutter bees (Megachile) • generalists & specialists • medium to large; stocky dark body • females carry pollen beneath abdomen • flattened abdomen with pale hair bands • solitary nesters in existing tunnels in • big serrated mandibles soil, wood, stems Anthidium; Miroslav Deml, EoL Megachile periharta; Ken Schneider, iNaturalist 45 46 Bees Bees Leafcutter bees (Megachile) Mason bees (Osmia) • generalists & specialists Megachile periharta; North Thurston HS Science Club, BugGuide.net • small to medium; • females carry pollen metallic blue/green beneath abdomen • round broad head • solitary nesters in and abdomen crevices in rock or wood, pithy stems, beetle