Abstract
We describe the nesting biology of Centris (Paracentris) burgdorfi, a solitary bee that nests in sandstone in northeastern Brazil. The nest consists of a shallow tunnel with access to the brood cells. Females of C. burgdorfi made 1–7 brood cells per nest with each cell requiring 2.58 ± 0.40 ((Formula presented.) ± SD) days to construct. The average cell-building construction time was longer when compared to other Centris species. Females were larger than males, and this difference was reflected in the size of their respective emergence cells. The temperature within C. burgdorfi nests was lower when compared to ambient temperature. Our study is the first to report the nesting biology of C. burgdorfi. The detailed behavior of the female inside the nest was also described, which is unusual in the study of solitary bee nesting biology.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 817-827 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Apicultural Research |
Volume | 60 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- foraging behavior
- nesting behavior
- oil-collecting bees
- sex ratios
- solitary bees
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Insect Science