Nesting Biology and Seasonality of Long-Horned Bee Eucera nigrilabris Lepeletier (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Abstract

We provide information on the nesting behavior, seasonality and nest soli type characteristics of Eucera nigrilabris Lepeletier, 1841 in Egypt. A nest was discovered in a canal bank in Abbis Village, Alexandria, Western Egypt. The species is protandrous, univoltine, ground nesting species. The bees built deep nests about 85cm under the ground and consisted of lined, branched tunnel with many cell. The bees start fly by end of January until end of March and active in winter seasons. The soil of the nest has yellow color, sandy loam texture, low salinty and sodicity, and low calcium carbonate content. The bee distrbiution was influnced by the soil with high content of sodium carbonate. The bees forage on the wild flora of the family Asteraceae carriyng a yellow pollen load. There is no any record of a cleptoparasitism around the nesting area.

Keywords

• Eucerin bees
• ground nesting
• univoltine
• cleptoparasites
• protandrous