The bees in your backyard : a guide to North America's bees

289 Pages·2016·308.36 MB·English

by  Joseph S. Wilson

Princeton University Press
Princeton and Oxford
JOSEPH
I’d like to dedicate this book to my family. To my parents, Bruce and Marnae, for the
encouragement and suggestions they provided. Also, to my kids, Ari, Isaac, and Viviann,
who enthusiastically point out a bee every time they see one and who “helped” on every
collecting trip we took. But most of all I dedicate this book to my amazing wife, Lindsey,
who had to spend most of her recent summers both entertaining kids out in the desert while
I photographed bees, and patiently enduring all the late nights I spent writing.
OLIVIA
As I wrote this book, I struggled through my first years as a mother, and I felt a connection
to the female bees about whom I was writing, whose adult lives revolve completely around
their offspring. For this reason I dedicate this book to all the mothers. And I dedicate this
book to my husband and daughters, who opened the door to a true understanding of and
appreciation for queen bees.
Copyright © 2016 by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work Wilson, Joseph S., 1980–
should be sent to Permissions, Princeton University Press The bees in your backyard : a guide to North America’s bees /
Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia Messinger Carril.
Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street,
pages cm
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Includes index.
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, ISBN 978-0-691-16077-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Bees—North
Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW America. 2. Bees—North America—Identification. 3. Bee
culture—North America. 4. Honeybee—North America. 5.
nathist.princeton.edu
Bumblebees—North America. I. Messinger Carril, Olivia, 1976–
All Rights Reserved II. Title. III. Title: Guide to North America’s bees.
ISBN 978-0-691-16077-1 QL567.1.U6W55 2016
595.79’9097—dc23
2015007075
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
This book has been composed in Arial MT and Avant Garde Goth
PS
Printed on acid-free paper. ∞
Designed by D & N Publishing, Baydon, Wiltshire, UK
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION 7 5 MELITTIDAE 111
1.1 Is This a Bee? 8 Identification Tips 112
1.2 Bee Names 12
6 HALICTIDAE 118
1.3 The Bee Lifecycle 14
Identification Tips 120
1.4 Where Do Bees Live? 17
6.1 Agapostemon 126
1.5 Bee Sociality 18
6.2 Halictus 129
1.6 What Do Bees Eat? 21
6.3 Lasioglossum 132
1.7 A Bee’s Enemies 22
6.4 Augochlorini 137
1.8 A Bee’s Body 27
6.5 Nomiinae 141
1.9 How to Study Bees 34
6.6 Rophitinae 145
1.10 Identifying Bees 39
Key to the Chapters of this Book 44
7 MEGACHILIDAE 149
1.11 Appreciating Bees 48
Identification Tips 152
7.1 Lithurginae 159
2 PROMOTING BEES IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD 50 7.2 Osmia 162
2.1 Bees as Pollinators 52 7.3 Hoplitis 167
2.2 Providing Habitat 55 7.4 Other Osmiini 170
2.3 Providing Food 60 7.5 Anthidium 176
7.6 Other Anthidiini 179
3 ANDRENIDAE 70 7.7 Megachile 184
Identification Tips 72
3.1 Andreninae 77 8 APIDAE 189
3.2 Protandrenini and Panurgini 82 Identification Tips 193
3.3 Perditini 86 8.1 Xylocopa 203
3.4 Calliopsis 90 8.2 Ceratina 206
3.5 Oxaeinae 92 8.3 Exomalopsini 209
8.4 Emphorini 212
4 COLLETIDAE 96 8.5 Common Eucerini 218
Identification Tips 98 8.6 Peponapis and Xenoglossa 224
4.1 Colletinae 101 8.7 Other Eucerini 227
4.2 Hylaeus 105 8.8 Anthophorini 232
4.3 Diphaglossinae 108 8.9 Centris 238
CONTENTS
8.10 Bombus 242 9.3 Cuckoo Bees: Megachilidae 275
8.11 Apis mellifera 246
Appendix: Guide to the
8.12 Euglossa 251
Pronunciation of Bee Names 278
9 POLLEN THIEVES 254
Index 279
Identification Tips 256
9.1 Cuckoo Bees: Apidae 262
Photographic Acknowledgments 288
9.2 Cuckoo Bees: Halictidae 274
6
1
INTRODUCTION
Did you know that more than 4000 species of bees live in Over 20,000 species of bees have been identified
the United States and Canada? To put that in perspective, around the world. New species are being found every year,
there are 4 times more species of bees in these two even in places like New York City. Because new species
countries than all the bird species north of Mexico, 6 times are continually discovered, scientists estimate that up to
more kinds of bees than butterflies, and about 10 times 30,000 species might exist worldwide. Bees can be found
as many bee species as mammal species. Despite their on every continent (except Antarctica), on small islands, on
diversity, few people know anything about bees, even treeless mountaintops, in jungles and deserts, and on top
the ones in their own backyards. For example, everyone of high-rises in Chicago. They are most abundant in dry
knows that robins nest in trees, that bears hibernate, and and hot environments, like Mediterranean Europe, and the
that butterflies start out as caterpillars, but most people southwestern United States.
don’t know where bees live, how they spend the winter, or Though the drab reddish-brown honey bee is the default
what they eat. This book is designed to introduce you to image conjured by most when they hear the word “bee,”
the bees of the United States and Canada, including their these creatures are in fact diverse and stunning beauties,
lifestyles and habitat preferences, and what you can do to and the menagerie includes blue and green jewels like
attract them to your neighborhood. Understanding bees is Osmia and Agapostemon, fire-engine red Nomada,
beneficial not only to the bees, but also to your gardens. jet-black fuzz-balls like Anthophora, and zebra-striped 7
Anthidium. Some of the smallest bees in the world are
found in North America. Perdita, found in the southwest
United States, measure only 0.1 inch, smaller than George
Washington’s nose on a quarter. At the other extreme,
North America is home to giant bumbling carpenter bees
The short and the long of it
The smallest bee in the world measures only 0.08 inch
and is found in South America (Trigona minima). The
largest bee in the world lives in Malaysia (Megachile
pluto); it is 1.5 inches long.
An Andrena species visiting a prickly poppy (Argemone).
Gotham’s bee
A new species of sweat bee was recognized in New
York City in 2010 (with the scientific name Lasioglossum
gothami). While it has probably always lived in New
York City, it was until recently completely overlooked
by scientists. There are likely many similar cases around
The largest and smallest kinds of bees found in North America,
the world. a Perdita (left), and a Xylocopa (right).
INTrOduCTION IS THIS A BEE?
(Xylocopa). At more than an inch long, they sound like 1.1 IS THIS A BEE?
miniature helicopters as they hover near flowers.
Bees are thought to increase seed set in 70% of all Even though bees are common in most neighborhoods,
flowering plants, including many of the fruits and vegetables frequently seen on hikes, and ubiquitous residents of
we enjoy. The special relationship that exists between city parks, it is hard to tell whether an insect buzzing
bees and the flowers they visit is not only economically nearby is a bee or something else. It’s no wonder people
(and gastronomically) important; it is also unique from a get confused. Because bees sting, resembling one is a
biological perspective. Although there are other organisms successful strategy for vulnerable insects, and many a bug
that are capable of pollination (and are, in fact, good at it), has evolved the appearance of a buzzing bee; however, a
bees are the only ones to actively gather pollen from the keen eye and a little practice are all you need to see past
flowers they visit, creating an evolutionary dynamic seen the ruse.
nowhere else in the animal kingdom. Despite the particular Bees and wasps are the most similar in appearance, and
talents and unquestionable importance of bees, scientists they are the most easily confused. It is not uncommon to
have reason to believe that some bee species may be hear complaints about the “bee” that landed on somebody’s
experiencing widespread population declines. While the hamburger at a recent family picnic. Stories of the pesky
specifics are still being assessed, some things are certain: nest dangling from a branch in the backyard abound.
bees are all around us, they enhance the quality of our Hikers complain about the horrible buzzing creatures that
lives, and they benefit from our improved understanding of swarmed from a log they used as a backrest halfway up the
them and their needs. trail. And every summer, someone is attacked by “ground
Our hope is that this book will turn amateur naturalists, bees” while mowing the lawn. In all cases, the annoying
gardeners, entomologists, and curious souls on to the insect was probably not a bee but a wasp. Wasps (including
amazing lives of the bees that not only reside in untamed hornets and yellow jackets) and bees are close relatives,
wild areas, but also flourish in our very neighborhoods. With sharing in common a grandmother 100 million “greats” ago.
understanding comes appreciation; in addition to describing In some instances the two are so similar that even trained
8 the life stories associated with the many bee species of the scientists have difficulty distinguishing them. The bee called
United States and Canada, we provide examples of ways Neolarra (see section 9.1), for example, was thought to be a
to encourage these wonderful pollinators on your own plot wasp by the first researchers to see it. It didn’t help that the
of land. bee was dead and stuck to a pin, because the most telling
A Megachile, resting on a cactus flower (Echinocereus). From highest to lowest, a fly, a wasp, and a bee visiting a
“watering hole.” On the fly, note the short antennae just visible
on the face. On the bee, note the yellow masses of pollen on the
legs, which the wasp is lacking. Photo by b. Seth toPham.
IS THIS A BEE? INTrOduCTION
differences between bees and wasps are their mannerisms
Meat-eating bees and
and day-to-day behaviors.
pollen-eating wasps
Most important among these behavioral differences is
There are exceptions to nearly every rule about that bees are pollen eaters. Wasps, in contrast, are meat
the differences between bees and wasps. In South eaters. While both visit flowers for nectar (the “energy
America, for example, a group of bees (Trigona)
drink” of the insect world), bees also visit flowers in order to
feeds its young with dead animal flesh, and in North
collect pollen for their young. On the contrary, wasps pursue
America a group of wasps (Pseudomasaris) feeds its
young with pollen. other insects and drag them back to the nest for their
offspring to devour. This one dietary difference has resulted
in very different bearings. To aid in the gathering of pollen,
bees are usually hairy (pollen sticks to hair), and many
flies bees wasps
species look like cotton candy with wings. Rooting around in
flowers is messy business, and a few minutes rummaging
among floral parts leaves a bee coated in hundreds of tiny
grains of pollen. Using her many legs, the bee grooms
herself, wiping all the pollen to the back of her body, where
she stuffs it into the spaces between special stiff bristles
on her legs or belly. These tufts or masses of special hairs
are called scopa. Quite the opposite of the furry bee, wasps
look like Olympic swimmers, devoid of all hair, skinny-
waisted, and with long spindly legs.
9
This image shows some common flies (left), bees (middle), and
wasps (right). You can see that the three groups commonly
look a lot alike and that it takes an experienced eye to see the
differences. Notice that all the flies have triangular heads (when
viewed from above) with short little antennae and just one wing
on each side of the body. Wasps and bees look even more similar;
look for rough integument (skin) on wasps, with many tiny pits, as A Melissodes bee foraging on a sunflower (Helianthus) with a large
well as antennae that commonly are very close together on the pollen load stuffed into the pollen-collecting hairs (scopa) on the
face, and spindly legs. back legs.