Howard S. Ginsberg
Steven R. Alm
Sara K Tucker
2019
<p><span>Analysis of pollen provisions in </span><i>Xylocopa virginica</i><span> (L.) nests in southern Rhode Island showed that this species produced pollen loaves from 21 different genera of plants in 2016, 19 in 2017, and 39 in 2018. </span><i>Antirrhinium majus</i><span> L. (garden snapdragon) pollen was the most common type collected in all three years (21.4%). Overall, wind-pollinated tree pollen comprised 22.1% of all pollen loaves. Blueberry pollen was a minor component of pollen loaves (0.1%), despite abundant blueberry plants nearby. Mean values of </span><i>X. virginica</i><span> nest measurements (tunnel length 15.4 ± 1.2 cm, width 15.0 ± 0.5 mm, and cell length 17.7 ± 0.3 mm) were similar to those reported in previous studies. Only 2 of the 216 trap nests deployed in 2017 were occupied by 11 </span><i>X. virginica</i><span> bees (9 females and 2 males). However, 17 nests contained 230 </span><i>Osmia taurus</i><span> Smith, 6 nests contained 73 </span><i>O. cornifrons</i><span> (Radoszkowski), and 1 nest contained 8 </span><i>O. lignaria</i><span> Say. Thirty-four nests (15.7%) were occupied by 151 grass-carrying wasps, </span><i>Isodontia</i><span> sp. and 6 vespid wasps occupied three nests (1.4%) in 2017. In 2018, 4 of 96 trap nests were occupied by carpenter bees. Understanding the nesting and foraging habits of </span><i>X. virginica</i><span> will help us to manage natural populations for pollination services.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1093/ee/nvz032
en
Oxford University Press
Eastern Carpenter Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae): Nest structure, nest cell provisions, and trap nest acceptance in Rhode Island
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