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 v2 - September 20, 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 v2 - September 20, 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 v2 - September 20, 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; C.A.S. Mazzacano mining bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 15 16 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators v2 - September 20, 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 v2 - September 20, 2016 Bees Bees • Carpenter, bumble, squash, long-hroned, and honey bees • Carpenter, bumble, long- (Apidae) horned, squash, and honey bees (Apidae) • Sweat bees (Halictidae) - medium to large • Mining bees (Andrenidae) Anthophora; C.A.S. Mazzacano Anthophoridae; C.A.S. Mazzacano - fuzzy/hairy • Mason, carder, leaf-cutter bees (Megachilidae) - may have hair bands/ stripes • Polyester & yellow-faced bees (Colletidae) - long-tongued • Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae) Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 21 22 Bees Bees • Carpenter, bumble, long- Bumble bees (Bombus) horned, and honey bees (Apidae) • medium to large; robust, hairy - carry pollen on hind legs • yellow, black, orange, white, Anthophoridae; C.A.S. Mazzacano or brown hair bands C.A.S. Mazzacano - many specialists • carry pollen & nectar mix in stiff - most are ground-nesting hairs (scopa) in concave basket - majority of parasitic bees on hind legs (corbiculum) in N. America Tri-colored Bumble Bee; Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano themountaincampus, iNat 23 24 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators v2 - September 20, 2016 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 25 26 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 27 28 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators v2 - September 20, 2016 Long-horned bees Digger bees Bees • Sweat bees (Halictidae) Anthophora; Hank Wallays, EoL Eucera; Alvesgaspar, Wikimedia Commons Melissodes; Laura Jansen Simpson, iNat - range of sizes & colors Small carpenter bees - may be metallic, striped Anthophora digging out nest tunnel; C.A.S. Mazzacano Agapostemon splendens; - short-tongued Sean McCann, EoL Ceratina; Ceratina; Valter Jacinto, EoL Valter Jacinto, EoL Cuckoo bee Carpenter bees Xylocopa; Xylocopa varipunctata; Nomada; Barbara Vance, iNaturalist C.A.S. Mazzacano Discover Life Dieunomia; Anne Reeves 29 30 Metallic green bees Bees • Sweat bees (Halictidae) Agapostemon odoratissimus; Agapostemon; Nomia melanderi (alkali bee); Mary Keim, EoL Darwin Bell Entomology Today - carry pollen on hind legs Sweat bees - most are ground-nesting; varying sociality Lasioglossum; BioImages, Encyclopedia ofLife Dieunomia nevadensis; John Ascher, Discover Life Halictus ligatus; Lasioglossum; Augochlora pura; Ricardo Ayala, EoL - Stephen Cresswell Sam Kieschnick, EoL Sphecodes davisii; specialists & generalists Ilona Loser, Discover Life Dufourea novaeangliae; Xeralictus; Dufourea; Laurence Packer, Michael Veit, Discover Life Cory Sheffield Discover Life 31 32 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators v2 - September 20, 2016 Bees Bees • Mining bees (Andrenidae) • Mining bees (Andrenidae) - range of sizes & colors - carry pollen on hind legs Perdita minima; Jillian Cowles, Discover Life - may be red, orange, - ground-nesting Protoxaea gloriosa; cream, dark blue, striped Robert Behrstock, Discover Life - generalists and - short-tongued specialists Andrena; Valter Jacinto, EoL 33 34 Andrena barbilabris; Andrena prima; Henk Wallays, EoL Oklahoma Panhandle State Univ. Bees • Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees Panurginus; (Megachilidae) Jules Barlet Protandrena abdominalis; Smithsonian - small to medium - moderately hairy head & thorax Andrena cerasifolii; Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life - robust; cylindrical body; Calliopsis puellae; yellow & black stripes/spots, Lynette Schimming, Discover Life brilliant metallic colors Anthidium; Anita Gould, iNaturalist Macrotera; Protoxaea; Discover Life John Ascher, Discover Life 35 36 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators v2 - September 20, 2016 Bees • Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees (Megachilidae) Megachile rotundata; Osmia ribifloris; USDA Anthidium; Miroslav Deml, EoL spider-bite, iNaturalist Megachile periharta; North Thurston HS Science Club, BugGuide.net - carry pollen beneath abdomen - solitary nesters in existing tunnels in Lithurgopsis apicalis; Hoplitis hypocrita; Ashmeadiella xenomastax; soil, wood, stems Bob O’Kennon, iNaturalist Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life Atoposmia copelandica; Heriades leavitti; Coelioxys sayi; Laurence Packer, Discover Life John Ascher, Discover Life John Ascher, Discover Life - many specialists 37 38 Wasps Wasps Wasps vs. bees Pollen wasps (Pseudomasaris) • less hairy • black or brown; yellow, white or red bands; • more pronounced “waist” • clubbed antennae • brighter color patterns • generalists; prefer pollen from waterleaf • most are predators, but & figwort families some feed young on pollen & nectar Pseudomasaris coquilletti; Mathesont 39 40 Searles Mazzacano_Pollinators v2 - September 20, 2016 Wasps Flies Pseudomasaris vespoides; Hartmut Wisch Pollen wasps (Pseudomasaris) Flies vs. bees • • only wasps that feed only 1 pair of wings; stick young on nectar & out more when perched pollen, collected in Villa lateralis; • Linda Dahlberg, Discover Life internal crop big round eyes dominate head Pseudomasaris vespoides nest; USDA Bee Lab • shorter, thinner antennae