A SECOND CONTRIBUTION TO THE BIOLOGY OF CTENOCOLLETES BEES (HYMENOPTERA APOIDEA STENOTRITIDAE)

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract
Field observations of adult behaviour (particularly foraging and mating) and nests of five species of Ctenocolletes are presented and compared with earlier observations. All studied species are solitary and ground-nesting. Nests are unusual in lacking tumuli and those of C. albomarginatus and C. nicholsoni are remarkably deep (2.7-3.2 m).

C. fulvescens is unusual in the genus in having a summer/autumn (rather than a winter/spring) flight season and in exhibiting matinal foraging in females and a bimodal flight pattern in males.

Conjugate flight of mating pairs and territorial hovering and darting flights of males are recorded for additional ,species. Meloidae (Coleoptera) are confirmed as cleptoparasites in nests of C. nicholsoni and a Crassifoenus species (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) is recorded from nests or nesting areas of four Ctenocolletes species.

Author(s) HOUSTON, TERRY F. : Part 2
Page Number
189