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 © 2017 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 • 87 of 115 leading US food honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano crops depend on insect pollinators Bat Conservation International Importance of bees to food production Bumble bee on echinacea; (from Wilson & Carrill, 2016) Wikimedia Commons 3 4 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 Anna;s Hummingbird; 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 economically important More than European honey bees!!!!! • honey bees, bumble bees, - > 4,000 spp. of native bees in orchard mason bees, alfalfa North America leafcutter bees ‣ bumble, mining, mason, leafcutter, orchard, sweat, digger, and carpenter bees Sweat bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano CA almond grove; Kathy Keatley Garvey 7 8 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 Challenges for pollinators Center for Biological Diversity (2017) • managed bees may spread & intensify disease in wild bees • 749 of 1,437 native bee species assessed are • wild bees pollinate declining (52%) many plants more efficiently • many more species lacked than honey bees population data to assess • habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, urbanization 11 12 Bees Bees C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano C.A.S. Mazzacano 13 14 Bees Bees Coelioxys cuckoo bee; Types of flowers pollinated vary Laura Clark, iNaturalist Not all bees are pollinators • short- vs. long-tongued bees short-tongued Sphecodes cuckoo sweat bee; Tom Murray • nest parasites (cuckoo bees) • generalist vs. specialist foragers • “nectar robbers” nectar-robbing hole; C.A.S. Mazzacano long-tongued Eastern Bumble Bee; sankax, Flickr 15 16 Social vs. solitary bees Social vs. solitary bees • solitary: each female builds Social (honey bees, bumble bees, & provisions own nest some sweat bees) • social: shared nests, • several generations at one drone & workers; castes with different roles time in colony or nest Max Westby, EoL Bumble bee nest; Panoramedia • members care for offspring that aren’t theirs wild honey bee nest; vickbird • division of labor mining bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 17 18 Social vs. solitary bees Bees • Carpenter, bumble, squash, Solitary bees (mining bees, mason long-horned, and honey bees bees, sweat bees, plasterer bees) (Apidae) • female provisions “cells” • Sweat bees (Halictidae) in nest where she lays eggs • Mining bees (Andrenidae) Miner bee on nest; C.A.S. Mazzacano Anthophoridae; C.A.S. Mazzacano • plant- and ground-nesting • Mason, carder, leaf-cutter bees (Megachilidae) • Polyester & yellow-faced bees (Colletidae) Cellophane bee brood cell;NatureWorks Colletes nest aggregation; bumblebee.org • Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae) Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano 19 20 Long-horned bees Digger bees Bees • Carpenter, bumble, long-horned, Anthophora; Hank Wallays, EoL Eucera; Alvesgaspar, squash, and honey bees (Apidae) Wikimedia Commons Melissodes; Laura Jansen Simpson, iNat Small carpenter bees - medium to large; fuzzy/hairy Peponapis squash bee; - have hair bands, stripes Holly Prendeville, U of NE Anthophora digging out nest tunnel; C.A.S. Mazzacano Ceratina; - Ceratina; Valter Jacinto, EoL Valter Jacinto, EoL Cuckoo bee long-tongued Carpenter bees - carry pollen on hind legs long-horned bee; Kathy Keatley Garvey Xylocopa varipunctata; Nomada; Xylocopa; C.A.S. Mazzacano Barbara Vance, iNaturalist Discover Life 21 22 Bees Bees Honey bees (Apis mellifera) Bumble bees (Bombus) • medium size; hairy body & eyes • medium to large; robust, hairy • brown/black with golden bands wild honey bee hive; • yellow, black, orange, white, C.A.S. Mazzacano • visit a variety of flowers California Bumble Bee; or brown hair bands C.A.S. Mazzacano • carry pollen in corbiculae • carry pollen & nectar mix in stiff hairs (scopa) in concave basket • less effective pollinators for on hind legs (corbiculum) some crops than many native bees Tri-colored Bumble Bee; Honey bee; C.A.S. Mazzacano themountaincampus, iNat 23 24 Metallic green bees Bees Bumble bees (Bombus) Agapostemon odoratissimus; Agapostemon; Nomia melanderi (alkali bee); • visit wide range of plants Mary Keim, EoL Darwin Bell Entomology Today Sweat bees Augochlora pura; Sam Kieschnick, EoL • active in cooler, wetter weather Nevada Bumble Bee; than honey bees can tolerate Mike Patterson, iNat Dieunomia nevadensis; John Ascher, Discover Life • buzz pollination Halictus ligatus; Lasioglossum; Stephen Cresswell Ricardo Ayala, EoL Sphecodes davisii; Ilona Loser, Discover Life Sweat Fog-belt Bumble Bee; bees Cara Fitchett, iNat Dufourea; Xeralictus; Cory Sheffield Laurence Packer, Discover Life 25 26 Andrena barbilabris; Andrena prima; Panurginus; Henk Wallays, EoL Oklahoma Panhandle State Univ. Jules Barlet Bees Agapostemon splendens; • Sweat bees (Halictidae) Sean McCann, EoL - range of sizes & colors Protandrena abdominalis; Calliopsis puellae; Smithsonian Lynette Schimming, Discover Life - may be metallic, striped - short-tongued Andrena cerasifolii; - carry pollen on hind legs Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life - most are ground-nesting; varying sociality Mining bees Dieunomia; Anne Reeves Macrotera; Protoxaea; Discover Life John Ascher, Discover Life 27 28 Osmia ribifloris; USDA Anthidium; Miroslav Deml, EoL Megachile rotundata; spider- bite, iNaturalist Bees • Mining bees (Andrenidae) - range of sizes & colors - red, orange, cream, Perdita minima; Jillian Cowles, Discover Life dark blue, striped Protoxaea gloriosa; Robert Behrstock, Discover Life - short-tongued Lithurgopsis apicalis; Hoplitis hypocrita; Ashmeadiella xenomastax; Bob O’Kennon, iNaturalist Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life Hartmut Wisch, Discover Life Atoposmia copelandica; Heriades leavitti; Mason, Coelioxys sayi; - Laurence Packer, Discover Life John Ascher, Discover Life John Ascher, Discover carry pollen on hind legs carder, Life resin, & - ground-nesting leafcutter bees 29 30 Bees Bees • Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees (Megachilidae) • Leafcutter, carder, mason, and resin bees (Megachilidae) Megachile periharta; North Thurston HS Science Club, BugGuide.net - small to medium - carry pollen - moderately hairy beneath abdomen head & thorax - solitary nesters in - robust, cylindrical; yellow existing tunnels in & black stripes/spots, soil, wood, stems brilliant metallic colors Anthidium; Anita Gould, iNaturalist - long-tongued 31 32 Wasps Wasps Wasps vs. bees Pollen wasps (Pseudomasaris) • less hairy • black or brown; yellow, white or red bands; clubbed antennae • more pronounced Pseudomasaris coquilletti; Mathesont “waist” • BEE WASP pollen & nectar in internal crop • brighter color patterns • solitary nesters • most are predators, but some types feed young on pollen & nectar Pseudomasaris vespoides; Hartmut Wisch Pseudomasaris vespoides nest; USDA Bee Lab 33 34 Flies Flies Flower flies (Syrphidae) & Helophilis flower fly; C.A.S. Mazzacano bee flies (Bombyliidae) Flies vs. bees • bee & wasp mimics • only 1 pair of wings that stick out to side when perched • adults eat nectar, pollen, Villa lateralis; honeydew Linda Dahlberg, Discover Life • big round eyes dominate head Chrysanthrax cypris bee fly; Royal Tyler • larvae predators (flower fly) • shorter, thinner antennae or parasites (bee fly) • may be bare or hairy Eristalis arbustorum; Hadel Go, Discover Life Toxomerus syrphid; MJ Hatfield 35 36 Beetles Beetles • • adults eat nectar, pollen, Soldier Beetles (Cantharidae) and often other insects • Long-horned Beetles (Cerambycidae) • bright colors & patterns • Blister Beetles (Meloidae) Margined Leatherwing; David Hebert Pennsylvania Leatherwing; • Sheryl Pollock, Discover Life larvae may be predators, • Flower Scarabs (Scarabaeidae) wood-borers, or parasites Kern’s Flower Scarab; C.A.S. Mazzacano Anthocomus soft-winged flower beetle; oldbilluk, iNaturalist Locust Borer; Bruce Marlin Texas Flower Scarab; vadalton, iNaturalist Red-eared Blister Beeetle; Ken-ichi Uchida 37 38 Beetles Moths & Butterflies Western Pine Elfin; C.A.S. Mazzacano • Checkered Beetle (Cleridae) Butterflies • Soft-winged Flower Beetle • perch with wings held vertically (Melyridae) • sip nectar with long, straw-like Ornate Checkered Beetle; • Tumbling Flower Beetle (Mordellidae) Ken-ichi Ueda, iNaturalist proboscis Great Arctic; C.A.S. Mazzacano Hoshihananomia perlata; Four-spotted