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 • most pollinated by bees • wind, insects, birds, mammals honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano Bat Conservation International Importance of bees to food production Bumble bee on echinacea; (Wilson & Carrill, 2016) Wikimedia Commons 3 4 Searles Mazzacano_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 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; Anna;s Hummingbird; 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 More than European honey bees!!!!! economically important - native bees (> 4000 NA spp.) • honey bees, bumble bees, orchard mason bees, alfalfa ‣ social: bumble bees leafcutter 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_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Challenges for pollinators Challenges for pollinators dead bees; Rodale’s Many stressors foulbrood-infected larvae; Univ. of GA • Colony Collapse Disorder (2006) in managed honey • habitat loss bee hives • pesticides • many bumble bees are also declining Franklin’s Bumble Bee; • diseases (viruses, Dana Campbell 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 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_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Bees Bees Types of flowers pollinated vary • short- vs. long-tongued bees short-tongued Sphecodes cuckoo sweat bee; Tom Murray • generalist vs. specialist foragers long-tongued Eastern Bumble Bee; sankax, Flickr 13 14 Bees Social vs. solitary bees Coelioxys cuckoo bee; Laura Clark, iNaturalist 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 nectar-robbing hole; C.A.S. Mazzacano wild honey bee nest; vickbird mining bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 15 16 Searles Mazzacano_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 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 drone & workers; C.A.S. Mazzacano time in colony or nest Max Westby, EoL that aren’t theirs Bumble bee nest; Panoramedia • nest may be perennial (honey • division of labor bee) or annual (bumble bee) (reproduction, hive cleaning, brood care, foraging) 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” Alfalfa leafcutter 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_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Bees Bees • Carpenter, bumble, squash, long-horned, and honey bees • Carpenter, bumble, long- (Apidae) horned, squash, and honey bees (Apidae) • Sweat bees (Halictidae) - medium to large • Mining bees (Andrenidae) Peponapis squash bee; Anthophoridae; C.A.S. Mazzacano Holly Prendeville, U of NE - fuzzy/hairy • Mason, carder, leaf-cutter bees (Megachilidae) - may have hair bands/ • Polyester & stripes yellow-faced bees (Colletidae) - long-tongued long-horned bee; • Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae) Kathy Keatley Garvey Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 21 22 Bees Bees • Carpenter, bumble, long- horned, squash, and honey Bumble bees (Bombus) bees (Apidae) • medium to large; robust, hairy - carry pollen on hind legs Peponapis squash bee; • yellow, black, orange, white, Holly Prendeville, U of NE Yellow-faced Bumble Bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano - many specialists or brown hair bands • - most are ground-nesting carry pollen & nectar mix in stiff hairs (scopa) in concave basket - majority of parasitic on hind legs (corbiculum) bees in N. America long-horned bee; Kathy Keatley Garvey Tri-colored Bumble Bee; themountaincampus, iNat 23 24 Searles Mazzacano_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Bees Bees The short-haired bumblebee project Bumble bees (Bombus) • generalists on wide range of plants Annual bumble bee Nevada Bumble Bee; colony • buzz pollination 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_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 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 varipunctata; Nomada; Xylocopa; C.A.S. Mazzacano Barbara Vance, iNaturalist 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 - Sweat bees Augochlora pura; carry pollen on hind legs Sam Kieschnick, EoL - most are ground-nesting; varying sociality Lasioglossum; BioImages, Encyclopedia ofLife Dieunomia nevadensis; John Ascher, Discover Life Halictus ligatus; Lasioglossum; Ricardo Ayala, EoL Stephen Cresswell - specialists & generalists Sphecodes davisii; Ilona Loser, Discover Life Sweat bees Dufourea novaeangliae; Dufourea; Xeralictus; Michael Veit, Discover Life Cory Sheffield Laurence Packer, Discover Life 31 32 Searles Mazzacano_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Bees Bees • Mining bees (Andrenidae) • Mining bees (Andrenidae) - range of sizes & colors - carry pollen on hind legs Perdita minima; - may be red, orange, Jillian Cowles, Discover Life - 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; Calliopsis puellae; Smithsonian Lynette Schimming, - small to medium Discover Life - moderately hairy head & thorax Andrena cerasifolii; Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life - robust, cylindrical; yellow & black stripes/spots, brilliant metallic colors Anthidium; Anita Gould, iNaturalist Mining - long-tongued Macrotera; Protoxaea; bees Discover Life John Ascher, Discover Life 35 36 Searles Mazzacano_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Osmia ribifloris; USDA Anthidium; Miroslav Deml, EoL Megachile rotundata; spider-bite, iNaturalist Bees • Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees (Megachilidae) 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; Bob O’Kennon, iNaturalist Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life soil, wood, stems 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 some & figwort families feed young on pollen & nectar Pseudomasaris coquilletti; Mathesont 39 40 Searles Mazzacano_EMSWCD Pollinators V2 - October 4, 2016 Wasps Flies Pseudomasaris vespoides; Hartmut Wisch Pollen wasps Flies vs. bees (Pseudomasaris) • only 1 pair of wings; stick • only wasps that feed out more when perched young on nectar & Villa lateralis; pollen, collected in • big round eyes dominate head Linda Dahlberg, Discover Life internal crop