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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379586
Research Project: Biological Control and Community Restoration Strategies for Invasive Weed Control in the Northern Great Plains Rangelands

Location: Pest Management Research

Title: Nest architecture of an endangered Hawaiian yellow-faced bee, Hylaeus anthracinus (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) and potential nest-site competition from three introduced solitary bees

Author
item GRAHAM, JASON - UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
item Campbell, Joshua
item PLENTOVICH, SHELDON - DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
item KING, CYNTHIA - HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Submitted to: Pacific Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/28/2021
Publication Date: 9/2/2021
Citation: Graham, J.R., Campbell, J.W., Plentovich, S., King, C.B.A. 2021. Nest architecture of an endangered Hawaiian yellow-faced bee, Hylaeus anthracinus (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) and potential nest-site competition from three introduced solitary bees. Pacific Science. 75(3):361-370. https://doi.org/10.2984/75.3.5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2984/75.3.5

Interpretive Summary: The native Hawaiian yellow-faced bee, Hylaeus anthracinus, is currently listed as endangered. Although this genus of bee is known to nest in hollow plant stems, very little is known about H. anthracinus nesting habitat and needs. We collected hollow stems and twigs and found that it primarily nests in two types of plants. Additionally, we found three non-native bees utilizing the same plants for nesting. We measured various nest parameters (e.g., diameter of nest opening, individual cell length, type of plant utilized, etc.) and found overlap for H. anthracinus nests and the three non-native bee species. Thus, competition for nesting sites could be a criteria for H. anthracinus' endangered status. Our data can be used to help conservationists conserve critical habitat and potentially construct artificial nest sites for H. anthracinus.

Technical Abstract: Hylaeus anthracinus is an endemic Hawaiian yellow-faced bee (Colletidae) that is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. On O'ahu, H. anthracinus populations are restricted to a few isolated areas of intact coastal strand habitat. A detailed understanding of H. anthracinus nesting ecology is required to protect and expand the remaining fragmented and isolated populations. Here we explore how nest parameters such as tunnel inside diameter, cell length, cell partition material, and plant species utilization compare among H. anthracinus and three non-native coastal bee species. Solitary bee nests from coastal habitats on O'ahu, Hawai'i were dissected and nest parameters were measured, compared, and described. We found overlap in most nest parameters among H. anthracinus and the introduced species: Hylaeus strenuus, Ceratina smaragdula, and Ceratina dentipes. No significant differences for inside diameter of nest entrance, length of tunnel nest, or # of cells/nest were found among the four species that were utilizing cavity nests. Thus, competition for nesting resources could be occurring. This increased understanding of H. anthracinus nest ecology will inform future conservation actions that could include the development of captive rearing programs, translocations, use of artificial nest sites, and the enhancement of natural habitat to increase nesting resources to support the existing populations.