Nesting Behavior of Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Monitored with an Event Recorder1

1969/11/17 by E. C. Klostermeyer, Henry S. Gerber · 8 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Plant and animal studies #Insect and Pesticide Research #Plant Parasitism and Resistance

paper · doi:10.1093/aesa/62.6.1321

Abstract

The nesting activity of the alfalfa leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata (F.), was monitored with an event recorder activated when the bee passed by light-dependent resistors mounted in special nesting blocks. Each phase of nesting activity, nest construction, provisioning, and oviposition, resulted in a distinct pattern on the recording chart. Female bees took an average of 2 hours 27 minutes to construct a cell, requiring 15 leaf-collecting trips of 5.3 minutes with 4.3 minutes spent in the cell between trips. Provisioning took an average of 5 hours 3 minutes with 17 trips of 14.9 minute duration and 3.4 minutes spent in the nest between trips. Oviposition averaged 0.8 minutes. Females usually laid only 1 egg a day but sometimes laid 2. Bee activity was regulated by both temperature and light intensity.

Cited by

• Nesting biology of Megachile (Eutricharea) studiosa Bingham, a leafcutter bee
• Seasonal trends in the condition of nesting females of a solitary bee: wing wear, lipid content, and oocyte size. [europepmc]
• Resistance and survival to extreme heat shows circadian and sex-specific patterns in A cavity nesting bee. [europepmc]
• Nesting Biology and Ecology of a Resin Bee, Megachile cephalotes (Megachilidae: Hymenoptera). [europepmc]
• Maternal body condition and season influence RNA deposition in the oocytes of alfalfa leafcutting bees ( Megachile rotundata ). [europepmc]
• Nesting cavity diameter has implications for management of the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). [europepmc]
• Reproductive Senescence in the Pollinator, Megachile rotundata . [europepmc]
• Photoperiod during nest construction influences diapause status in the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). [europepmc]

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