Download Nevada Bee Guide - Pollinator Partnership

NevadaBeeIdentificationGuide
DevonPicklum1,CynthiaScholl2,andKevinBurls2
1Ecology,Evolution,andConservationBiology,UniversityofNevada,Reno,NV
2NevadaBugsandButterflies
IncooperationwithPollinatorPartnership
PhotographsofNevadabeesbyJosephS.Wilson
Whybeesareimportant:
Beesprovideessential
ecosystemservicesinnaturalandagriculturallandscapesas
pollinatorsofthree-quartersoffloweringplants.Forpeople,
thismeanseverythirdbiteoffoodistheresultof
pollination.Plantsrelyonpollinatorstoreproduceandset
seed.Honeybeespollinatecrops,butnativebeesalsohave
aroleinagricultureandtheyareessentialforpollinationin
naturallandscapes.Thereare1,000nativespeciesof
ground-nesting,twig-nestingandparasiticbeesfound
withinNevada.Thisguidegivesinformationforidentifying
10majorgroupsofbeescommonlyobservedinNevada
includingkeycharacteristics,sizes(inmm),nestinghabits,
floralpreferences,anddistinctivebehaviors.
BeeIdentification:Beeshavethreebodysegments:a
head,thorax,andabdomen.Thehead hascompoundeyes,
apairofsegmentedantennae,andmouthpartsincluding
mandiblesforbiting,andthetonguefordrinkingnectar.
Thethorax bearsthelegsandfourwings.Theabdomen
containsdigestiveorgansandthestinginfemales.
©2011CaseyMDelphia
thorax
abdomen
head
pollen-carrying
hairs on hind leg
pollen-carrying
hairs on abdomen
Femalebeeshavespecialpollen-carryinghairs(scopa),
usuallyonthelegs,orinthecaseofleafcutters,underthe
abdomen.Honeybeesandbumblebeescarrypollen
packedtightlyintoaballonpollenbaskets(corbiculae),
concaveareasontheirhindlegs.
www.nevadabugs.org
Bumblebees(Bombus spp.)
Honeybees(Apis mellifera)
Family:Apidae - 10-23mm
Robust,blackbody,extensively
coveredwithbandsofblack,yellow,
orange,orwhitishhairs,longface,
pollenbasketonhindlegs.
Family:Apidae - 10-15mm
Lighttodarkbrownbodywithpale
anddarkhairsinbandson
abdomen.Abdomenbarrel-shaped.
Heart-shapedhead;pollenbaskets
onhindlegs.
Largesocialcoloniesof
30,000ormore.Nestin
man-madehives,tree
hollows,orrockoutcrops.
Coloniesswarmtolocate
newnests.
Honeybeesarenotnative
totheU.S.,butwere
broughtoverbyEuropeans
inthe17thcentury.
D.Picklum
Socialcoloniesnest
underground,usuallyin
abandonedrodentnests.
Bumblebeespollinateincool,
cloudyweatherwhenmostbees
areathome.
Bumblebeescanbuzz-pollinate
flowers,liketomatoes,that
requirevibrationtorelease
pollen.
Carpenterbees(Xylocopa& Ceratinaspp.)
Family: Apidae
Xylocopa - 13-30mm
Shinydarkblacktometallicbluegreenbody,sparsehairson
abdomen,robustwithmassivejaws.
Pollen-carryinghairsonrearlegs.
Solitarytocommunal,nestsare
burrowedintowood,oftenin
roofeaves.
Ceratina - 3-15mm
Shinydarkmetallicblue-greenbody,
sparselyhaired,cylindrical
abdomen.Paleyellowmarkson
face.Pollen-carryinghairsonhind
legs.
Solitaryorsubsocial,nestin
twigsandstems.
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Sweatbees
(Agapostemon,
Augochlorella,Halictus
spp.& others)
FamilyHalictidae - 3-12mm
Twoforms:1)dullmetallicblue
orbrightmetallicgreento
copperor2)black/brownwith
lightbandsofhaironthe
abdomen.Parasiticformsoften
haveredabdomens.Slender
body,pollen-carryinghairson
hindlegs.
Solitarytosocial,nestin
theground.
Someareattractedtosaltin
yoursweat.
Family:Andrenidae - Andrena 7-18mm,Perdita 2-7mm
Blackordull,slendermetallicbodyoften
withbrownorreddishhairs.Pollencarryinghairsonhindlegsandsideof
thorax.
Solitaryorcommunal,nestin
sand.
Andrena areabundantinthe
springastheyareoneofthe
firstbeestoemergeeachseason.
Perdita isadiversegenus,bright
yellow,blackandwhitishbees.
Family:Apidae - 10-18mm
Brownbodycoveredindense
lighthaironthethoraxandin
bandsonabdomen.Coarsedensepollencollectinghaironhindlegs.Mayhavelight
spotonface,maleshavelongantennae.
Appeartohaveprotruding“nose”.
Solitarybeesnestintheground,
ofteninornearpumpkinand
squashfields.
Onlycollectpollenfromsquash
andpumpkins
Family:Megachilidae - 10-20mm
Blackbodywithlightordarkhairs.
Pollen-carryinghairsbeneath
abdomen.Somehaveratherpointy
abdomens.Headisasbroadasthe
thoraxwithlargemouthpartsusedto
cutleaves.
Femalescutcircularpiecesfrom
leavestolinetheirnests
Solitary,nestinbeetleholesor
woodnestingblocks,someinsoil.
Long-hornedbees
(Melissodes,Svastra &
Eucera spp.)
Masonbees(Osmia spp.)
Family:Megachilidae - 5-20mm
Twoforms:1)blackbodycoveredin
palehairsor2)dullmetallic
green-blueandlesshairy.Carry
pollenonhairsunderabdomen.
Headasbroadasthorax,robust
body,largemandibles.
Collectmudtolinetheirnests.
Solitary,butnestin
aggregationsinnaturalormanmadeholessuchasbeetleholes,
nestingblocks,stems,orsoil.
Family:Apidae - 5-18mm
Slenderandwasp-like;relatively
thickantennae,oftenwithfewhairs.
Red,black,oryellowbody,banded
abdomens.Triepeolus isblackand
whitewithredlegs.
Femalesfeedonnectarbutdo
notcollectpollen.
Femalesarekleptoparasites; they
laytheireggsinanotherbee’s
nesttostealthenestsandfood.
Leafcutterbees
(Megachile spp.)
Squashbees(Peponapis
&Xenoglossa spp.)
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D.Picklum
Cuckoobees(Nomada,Triepeolus &
Sphecodes spp.)
Family:Apidae - 7-20mm
Robustandveryhairy,darkbodyoften
withpalehairbandsonabdomen.
Densepollen-carryinghairsonhind
legs.Maleshaveverylongantennae.
Solitarytocommunal,nestinsandy
soils.
Somespeciesareespecially
attractedtoasters,sunflowers,and
mallows.
ABeeorNotaBee?Therearetwokindsofinsects
thatareoftenconfusedwithbees:fliesandwasps.Many
flower-visitingflies(e.g.theSyrphidae)arebeeandwasp
mimicsincolor,form,andbehavior.Bymimickingbees
andwaspsinappearance,theygainprotectionfrom
predators.So,howdoyoutellthesepollinatorsapart?
FlyIdentification:
Flieshaveonlyonepairofwings,
whilebeeshavetwopairs.Fliesusuallyhaveshort,stubby
antennaewithsinglehairs,orfeatheryantennae.They
havepiercing/suckingorspongingmouthparts.Manyflies
havehugeeyesthatmeetatthetopoftheirheads.
WaspIdentification:Waspshavetwopairsof
wings,chewingmouthparts,astinginfemales,andlong
antennae.Whilebeehairsarebranched(plumose),wasp
hairsaresimpleandstraight.Beesarealsousuallyhairier
andmorerobustthanwasps.Manywaspshavea
distinctiveconstricted“waspwaist,”betweentheir
abdomenandthorax.Whilemostwaspsarecarnivorous
predatorsorparasites,somefeedonpollenandnectar.
Nowthatyouknowhowtotellthedifferencebetween
bees,waspsandflies,tryidentifyingtheinsectsinthe
photosbelow.Answersareatthebottom.
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D.Picklum
1.Wasp2.Sweatbee3.Fly4.Fly5.Wasp6.Masonbee
7.Wasp8.Fly9.CuckooBee
Miningbees(Andrena &Perdita spp.)