12 NATIVE BEES YOU MIGHT SEE AT LAKE MERRITT · 2017-07-02 · 2. Gordon W. Frankie, Robbin W....
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UC Master Gardener Program Alameda County 2017-06-27 1 of 5 The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activities. See the complete Nondiscrimination Statement at ucanr.edu. 12 NATIVE BEES YOU MIGHT SEE AT LAKE MERRITT Below are descriptions of 12 of the many species of native bees that you can look for at Lake Merritt. Happy Hunting! Bombus (Bumble Bee) Ten species identified in California urban gardens. Most common: California Bumble Bee, Yellow-faced Bumble Bee, and Black-tailed Bumble Bee Size and appearance: Medium to large. Typically black, very fuzzy with brown, white, or colored bands on thorax and abdomen. Female carries pollen in scopae on her hind legs. Characteristics and behavior: In spring, queens and a few dozen to a few hundred female workers form colonies in cavities such as abandoned rodent nests, typically in the ground or under grass tussocks. The colonies persist through summer. Males and new queens are born near the end of the season. Males and new queens mate, and the new queens overwinter to begin a new cycle. Female workers’ ability to buzz A Few Interesting Native Bee Facts • Male and female bees drink nectar from flowers as flight fuel. Females transport pollen from flowers to their nests to create food supplies for their offspring. • Females lay eggs in brood chambers provisioned with pollen for emerging larvae. After consuming the food supply, the larvae pupate before emerging as adults. • Larvae of some species go into diapause (hibernate) to overwinter before pupating in spring. • Females of some species can reproduce asexually; some hibernate after mating. • Most native bees are solitary, but bumble bees and some carpenter bees nest in colonies. • Most bees live only a few weeks, but some species overwinter. Female carpenter bees may live two years or more. And a Few Definitions • “Buzz pollinate”: Females of some species are able to grasp flowers with their mouths while vibrating their wings until the flower’s anthers release a burst of pollen that falls on the bee. This behavior allows the bee to gather pollen regardless of whether the shape of the flower allows the bee to make body contact with the anthers. • “Scopa/ae”: A specialized configuration of bristles and hairs that enables female bees to transport pollen to the nest. Scopae occur on the hind legs in some species and on the abdomens in others. • Sizes: Large – longer than ½ inch. Medium – ½ inch. Small – 3/8 inch. Tiny – shorter than ¼ inch. • Thorax: Segment of the body where the wings are attached.
Transcript of 12 NATIVE BEES YOU MIGHT SEE AT LAKE MERRITT · 2017-07-02 · 2. Gordon W. Frankie, Robbin W....
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12NATIVEBEESYOUMIGHTSEEATLAKEMERRITTBelowaredescriptionsof12ofthemanyspeciesofnativebeesthatyoucanlookforatLakeMerritt.
HappyHunting!
Bombus(BumbleBee)
TenspeciesidentifiedinCaliforniaurbangardens.Mostcommon:CaliforniaBumbleBee,Yellow-facedBumbleBee,andBlack-tailedBumbleBeeSizeandappearance:Mediumtolarge.Typicallyblack,veryfuzzywithbrown,white,orcoloredbandsonthoraxandabdomen.Femalecarriespolleninscopaeonherhindlegs.Characteristicsandbehavior:Inspring,queensandafewdozentoafewhundredfemaleworkersformcoloniesincavitiessuch
asabandonedrodentnests,typicallyinthegroundorundergrasstussocks.Thecoloniespersistthroughsummer.Malesandnewqueensarebornneartheendoftheseason.Malesandnewqueensmate,andthenewqueensoverwintertobeginanewcycle.Femaleworkers’abilitytobuzz
AFewInterestingNativeBeeFacts• Maleandfemalebeesdrinknectarfromflowersasflightfuel.Femalestransportpollenfrom
flowerstotheirneststocreatefoodsuppliesfortheiroffspring.• Femaleslayeggsinbroodchambersprovisionedwithpollenforemerginglarvae.After
consumingthefoodsupply,thelarvaepupatebeforeemergingasadults.• Larvaeofsomespeciesgointodiapause(hibernate)tooverwinterbeforepupatinginspring.• Femalesofsomespeciescanreproduceasexually;somehibernateaftermating.• Mostnativebeesaresolitary,butbumblebeesandsomecarpenterbeesnestincolonies.• Mostbeesliveonlyafewweeks,butsomespeciesoverwinter.Femalecarpenterbeesmay
livetwoyearsormore.AndaFewDefinitions
• “Buzzpollinate”:Femalesofsomespeciesareabletograspflowerswiththeirmouthswhilevibratingtheirwingsuntiltheflower’santhersreleaseaburstofpollenthatfallsonthebee.Thisbehaviorallowsthebeetogatherpollenregardlessofwhethertheshapeoftheflowerallowsthebeetomakebodycontactwiththeanthers.
• “Scopa/ae”:Aspecializedconfigurationofbristlesandhairsthatenablesfemalebeestotransportpollentothenest.Scopaeoccuronthehindlegsinsomespeciesandontheabdomensinothers.
• Sizes:Large–longerthan½inch.Medium–½inch.Small–3/8inch.Tiny–shorterthan¼inch.
• Thorax:Segmentofthebodywherethewingsareattached.
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pollinatesomeflowersallowsthemtopollinatearangeofcrops,suchastomatoes,cranberries,apples,peppers,almonds,sunflowers,watermelonsandblueberries.
Habropoda(DiggerBee)
12speciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Large,stout-bodied.Femalescarrypolleninwhitescopaeontheouterpartoftheirhindlegs.Maleshavepalemarkingsontheirlowerfaces.Characteristicsandbehavior:FlyingseasonisFebruaryintoMay.Flightisnoisyandfast.Extremegeneralists,theyforageforpollenonawidevarietyofplants.Femalesgatherpollenfromwind-pollinatedcatkinsandflowers;theybuzzpollinatetomatoes.Femalesnestinsoilinverticalbanksandin
flat,bareground.
Andrena(MiningBee) Approximately225speciesfoundinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Smalltomedium,slender.Usuallyblackordullmetallicblueorgreen,oftenwithbuffcoloredhairsonthethorax.Visiblebandsofpalehairmaygrowontheabdomen.Females’distinctlynoticeablescopaeareonhindlegs. Characteristicsandbehavior:Femalesburrowintothesoil,sometimesinlawns,tocreateneststhatmayaccommodateuptothousandsofbees.FlyingseasonisFebruaryintoJune.Althoughsomespeciesarespecialists
thatforageonlyonspecificplants,mostaregeneralists,valuablepollinatorsforspringbloomingcrops,suchasorchardfruit,almonds,andblueberries.
Agapostremon(GreenSweatBee)Approximately5speciesinCalifornia,40inNorthAmerica.Sizeandappearance:Smalltomedium,slender.Femalesofmostspeciesareentirelybrightgreen,butsomecombineabrightgreenheadandthoraxwithablackandwhitestripedabdomen.Maleshaveabrightgreenheadandthoraxwithablackandyellowstripedabdomen.Femalescarrypolleninscopaeontheirhindlegs.Characteristicsandbehavior:Agapostremonnestintheground.Femalesmateinlatesummer/earlyfallandhibernateintheirold
nests.Theyemergeinspringtobuildnewnestsandlayeggsthatwillhatchintofemales.Newfemaleswilllaymostlyunfertilizedeggsthatwillhatchintomales.ActivefromMarchtoOctober,theyvisitmanyplantspeciesforpollenandnectarandareexcellentcroppollinators,especiallyfor
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strawberries,watermelons,andsquash.Unlikeothersweatbees,Agapostremondonotdrinkhumanperspiration.
Megachile(LeafcutterBee)Approximately75speciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Smalltomedium.Femaleabdomenistapered;maleisrounded.Femalescarrypolleninascopaundertheabdomen;whenthescopaisfull,thelowerabdomenappearstobethecolorofthepollen.Characteristicsandbehavior:Megachilenestintubularcavitiessuchasholesinwoodorhollowstems;manywilluseman-madenests.FlightseasonisMayintoSeptember.Flightisslowanddeliberate.
Femalesbitepiecesofleafintopreciseshapestolineandpartitiontheirnests.Leafcutterbeesaregeneralistswhosebroadforaginghabitsmakethemexcellentpollinators.
Melissodes(Long-hornedBee)Approximately50speciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Smalltomedium,stout.Malesandfemalesaregoldenbrown,oftenwithabandedabdomen.Thoraxisfuzzyandlegsarevisiblyhairy.Femalescarrypolleninconspicuouslylargescopaeontheirhindlegs.Theircommonnameisderivedfromthemales’distinctivelylongantennae.Characteristicsandbehavior:Femalesnestinflatbareground.Beesemergefromtheirnestsinmid-tolatesummer.Inlate
afternoon,malesmayclusterinsideaforageflowerorsleephangingupsidedownfromaflower.Melissodesaregeneralists.(LookalikeSvastraareimportantpollinatorsforwildandcultivatedsunflowers.)
Halictus(SweatBee)SixspeciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Mediumtosmall,elongate.Dark,withbandsofpalehairontheabdomen.Femalescarrypolleninscopaeextendingalongtheentirehindlegs.Characteristicsandbehavior:Femalesmatebeforehibernatingandemergeinspringreadytobuildnewnestsforoffspringinflatbareground.Multiplegenerationsmayemergeinasingleseason.FlightseasonisMarchtoOctober.Halictusaregeneralists.When
visitingCaliforniapoppies,femalesofoneHalictusspecieslieontheirsideswhilecirclingaroundthe
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baseoftheantherstocollectpollen.Pollinatedcropsincludewatermelon,strawberry,tomato,pepper&sunflower.Halictusdrinkhumanperspiration.
Anthidium(MasonBee)22speciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Largetosmall,stout.Blackwithyellowmarkings.Females’scopaeareontheundersidesoftheirabdomens.Unlikeotherbeespecies,malesarelargerthanfemales.Characteristicsandbehavior:FlightseasonisMayintoOctober.Femalesaregeneralists,butinurbangardenstheyareoftenfoundonSalvia.Mostbuildnestsinexistingcavities.Femalesscrapehairsoffofleavesandstuffthemintotheirnestingcavitiestocreateasoftmassin
whichtheyformaloafofpollenandlayanegg.Theyclosetheindividualbroodchamberwithmoreplanthairs.
Osmia(MasonBee)Approximately135speciesfoundinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Mediumtosmall,stoutwithroundedheads,usuallydarkmetallicbluebutsomearebrightmetallicgreen.Femalesarelargerthanmales,havedarkhairsontheface,andcarrypolleninascopaontheundersideoftheabdomen.Characteristicsandbehavior.Osmianestinpre-existingwoodtunnels,suchasoldbeetleholesorholesdrilledby
humans.Femalescreatebroodcellsinthetunnelwithwallsmadeofmudorchewedleaves.FlyingseasonisMarchintoJune.Mostfemalesforageforpollenonawidevarietyofplantsandarevaluableorchardandberrypollinators.Afewspeciespreferspecificplants.
Xylocopa(LargeCarpenterBee)ThreespeciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Large,shiny,stout,mostlyblackwithsparsehair.Females’scopaeareonhindlegs.Characteristicsandbehavior:Year-roundflightseason,withpeakactivityfromMarchintoAugust.Femalesaregeneralistsforpollenandarebusinesslikeinforagingatflowersbutfurtiveinenteringneststounloadpollen.Malesareoftenterritorialbutcannotsting.Malesandfemalesoverwinteringroups,drillingnestsintosoftordecayingwood
orpithystems.
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Ceratina(SmallCarpenterBee)
13speciesinCalifornia.Sizeandappearance:Smalltotiny,nearlyhairless,shinyanddark.Females’scopaearesparse,onouterhindlegs.Characteristicsandbehavior:Flightisquickanddeliberate;flightseasonisspringtoautumn.Femalesaregeneralists,oftenfoundonAsteraceaebutalsoabletocrawldeepinsidetubularflowers.Commoninurbangardens.Pollinatedcropsincludeapple,blueberry,plum,andpeach.Femalesbuildnestsinthecentersofpithyorsoft-coredead
stemsofplants.SomepopulationsinSouthernCaliforniaconsistsolelyoffemalesandreproduceasexually.
Peponapis(SquashBee)
OnespeciesfoundinCalifornia;sixinNorthAmericanorthofMexico.Sizeandappearance:Medium.Goldenbrown.Females’scopaearepalebrown,onhindlegs.Characteristicsandbehavior:PeponapisforageexclusivelyonpollenfromCucurbits(squashesandgourds)andemergewhensquashareinbloom.Femalesandmalesmayvisitotherflowersfornectar,includingothervinecropsandmorningglories.Matingoccursinsidesquashflowers.Malessleepinsquashflowers,whichcloseovernightandopen
againinthemorning.Femalesmaketheirnestsinflat,bareground.REFERENCES:1.“PortlandMetroBeeProfiles”,CelesteEts-Hokin,20172.GordonW.Frankie,RobbinW.Thorp,RollinE.Coville,andBarbaraErtter,CaliforniaBeesandBlooms:AGuideforGardenersandNaturalists(Berkeley:Heyday,2014)3.UrbanBeeLabattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley(www.helpabee.org)4.PollinatorPosseattheGardensatLakeMerritt(www.pollinatorposse.org)
