31:
55:
323:). The fungi are either within the bodies of unhealthy larvae, but more commonly are found in the feces of healthy larvae. The fungi causes the fecal pellets to be strung together in a characteristic manner. After oviposition, the eggs develop, hatch, mate, feed on the fungus, then leave on the bee when it emerges. One generation of
234:. The bee uses a specialized technique of opening alfalfa flowers for pollination by applying pressure to snap open the keel of the flower. Because of this and the fact that they prefer pollen to nectar, fly in a wide range of conditions, and perform well regardless of how well the field is watered, alkali bees are preferred to
262:
The alkali bee is about two-thirds the size of a honeybee with black and metallic banding on the abdomen. Females have, but infrequently use, stingers and the males have white faces. Males and females in the northern part of the range are larger than their counterparts to the south. This is theorized
390:
and foretarsi, formed into pellets which are then deposited around the entrance to the burrow. The burrows are usually about 15–20 cm in depth, but in laboratory conditions with looser soil, much deeper burrows have been created. In addition to the main vertical burrow, smaller passageways are
327:
is reared per generation of bee, so southern populations of bee which can rear multiple generations in a season are more likely to a have a high presence of mites. Adult females seem host far more mites than the males who seem to host relatively few, and they fall into cells during the provisioning
426:. In the wild this process takes 11 to 12 days. In the southern region, eggs laid early in the season may emerge after this but for eggs later in the season or for those in the northern part of the range, the pupa will emerge as a bee in the following summer, cued by the warming soil temperatures.
248:
Juvenile hormone (JH) analog methoprene can serve as a possible limiting factor for alkali bees since female bees are more likely to reach reproductive maturity with JH. Alkali bees are also considered solitary bees because females have their individual nests and live alongside other female alkali
414:
to form a ball which is then placed in the bottom of the cell. Any debris that makes its way into the cell during this period is meticulously removed. Once the pollen ball is completed, oviposition occurs. This is usually in the late afternoon. The egg is laid on top of the pollen ball, then the
385:
While solitary, alkali bees frequently nest in high densities. Females lay 1 to 2 eggs a day, and spend most of the day building the cell for the egg. Immediately after emergence a female begins to excavate the main burrow which usually entails digging for about 12 hours. The dirt is removed and
244:
in recent years. Due to the unusual nesting habits of this bee, farmers have developed methods to accommodate them with salty mud-fields where they can burrow and lay their eggs. Farmers started doing this after realizing that plowing up natural flats like these decreased the yield of alfalfa
328:
stage where they carry out their life cycle, One study found that 60% of cells had mites, and the average mite count within these cells was 5.7. Although the mites can reach high densities, they don't appear to harm the bees which is possibly due to their fungivorous nature.
415:
female leaves the cell without inspecting it and begins to cap the cell. The egg garners no further attention after this unless it becomes diseased. In this case, the cell will be opened and packed with dirt by the female.
450:
In the first few weeks of the emergence period, the majority of emerging bees are male. Once they emerge, they begin patrolling for females who likely mate soon after emerging. Their attractiveness (driven by
394:
Cell creation usually begins the night after the main burrow is excavated. First, the "mine burrow" is dug and then a soil lining applied to the sides which reduces the size of the cell. Lastly a clear,
442:
required for making these eggs. Pollen consumption is larger in younger females, and primarily occurs in the afternoon and evening as pollen collected early in the day goes toward larval provisioning.
471:. Due to its commercially important role as a pollinator of the alfalfa crop in the western and northwestern United States, it is not a species of concern, unlike many native bees.
438:
to develop. They continue to consume pollen for at least two weeks. It is believed that because solitary bees have very large, lipid-rich eggs the pollen provides the lipids and
1143:
1012:
263:
to allow larval bees to survive for longer without food and may also be related to a slightly longer day in the summer, allowing for increased brood provisioning.
1051:
588:
986:
1025:
496:
459:
last less than 30 seconds. While other males sometimes observe copulation, there isn't evidence for aggression or interference by these males
1128:
1138:
418:
Three or four days after oviposition the egg hatches and the larva begins to consume the pollen ball. Once this has been consumed, the
217:
in 1906. While solitary, these bees nest near each other and can form extremely dense aggregations in areas with favorable conditions.
1133:
30:
702:"A native ground-nesting bee (Nomia melanderi) sustainably managed to pollinate alfalfa across an intensively agricultural landscape"
548:
1030:
488:
54:
214:
185:
565:
360:
of the soils appears to be the controlling factor for where nests are made. As soil makeup affects water retention and
387:
846:"The Extraordinary Alkali Bee, Nomia melanderi (Halictidae), the World's Only Intensively Managed Ground-Nesting Bee"
1056:
509:
617:"Juvenile hormone, but not nutrition or social cues, affects reproductive maturation in solitary alkali bees (
669:
391:
dug horizontally. From these shorter tunnels, small vertical holes called cells are created for oviposition.
845:
602:
357:
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616:
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40:
1100:
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277:
210:
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138:
1148:
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311:
This mite has been found in association with alkali bees but not with other species within the genus
468:
349:
240:
226:
1043:
406:
After the cell is constructed, the female bee begins the process of provisioning. She brings back
729:
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400:
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857:
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635:
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292:
38:
Male bee. The lower frame is a blow-up of the small rectangle in the upper frame, showing a
455:) decreases in the days after emerging. No evidence of courtship has been observed and the
356:
soils that have good drainage, a salty surface, and don't have vegetative groundcover. The
1074:
782:"Behavior of the Alkali Bee, Nomia melanderi, within the Nest (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)"
862:
317:. The mites seem to oviposit in conjunction with emergence of fungi in cells (possibly
701:
1122:
733:
952:
1038:
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288:
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66:
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403:(in the abdomen) is applied to the interior of the cell to waterproof it.
934:
904:
423:
939:
781:
991:
640:
589:"Buzz: A beautiful book shows why modern bees are hippy wasps at heart"
231:
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Females must consume pollen as soon as they emerge in order for their
1004:
411:
407:
337:
221:
206:
96:
76:
881:
978:
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238:
for alfalfa pollination but have been increasingly supplanted by
965:
369:
365:
353:
885:
352:
and east to western
Colorado. They prefer to nest in moist,
757:
Bulletin of the
Washington Agriculture Experimental Station
751:(Macq.) (Diptera: Conopidae) a parasite of the alkali bee,
663:
661:
659:
894:
780:
336:The alkali bee lives in arid climates, primarily
674:. Lawrence, Kan.: Kansas Entomological Society.
287:) and both adults and larvae are susceptible to
615:Kapheim, Karen M.; Johnson, Makenna M. (2017).
514:, sustainably managed to pollinate alfalfa ..."
787:Annals of the Entomological Society of America
230:, alkali bees are an effective pollinator of
8:
1144:Taxa named by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell
671:Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
882:
291:kills. Unusually, there are not any known
29:
20:
861:
639:
529:Delaplane, K. S.; Mayer, D. F. (2000).
497:Integrated Taxonomic Information System
480:
774:
772:
770:
422:(now a prepupa) defecates and begins
224:, soil. Like some other bees such as
220:This bee nests in salt-saturated, or
7:
1067:a7e1494d-acbb-4e0e-81c8-675be36cf6a8
695:
693:
691:
689:
524:
522:
205:, is a ground-nesting bee native to
209:and semi-arid desert basins of the
863:10.1146/annurev-ento-020623-013716
844:Cane, James H. (25 January 2024).
755:Ckll. (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)".
14:
747:Howell, J.F. (1967). "Biology of
564:Moisset, Beatriz; Wojcik, Vicki.
467:The alkali bee is not ranked for
304:and is associated with the mite
295:. It is also preyed upon by the
271:Larvae-specific threats include
53:
628:Journal of Experimental Biology
372:but mostly silt are preferred.
275:(Bombyliidae) and specifically
779:Batra, S. W. T. (1970-03-16).
1:
700:Cane, James H. (2008-05-01).
587:Matthew Cobb (Aug 11, 2018).
215:Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell
1129:Insects of the United States
850:Annual Review of Entomology
1165:
1139:Hymenoptera of New Zealand
541:10.1079/9780851994482.0000
1134:Insects described in 1906
399:-rich secretion from the
174:
167:
50:Scientific classification
48:
37:
28:
23:
668:BioOne (Projet) (2004).
532:Crop pollination by bees
332:Distribution and habitat
281:as well as oil beetles (
749:Zodion obliquefasciatum
301:Zodion obliquefasciatum
267:Predators and parasites
213:. It was described by
1101:Paleobiology Database
825:texasinsects.tamu.edu
799:10.1093/aesa/63.2.400
718:10.1051/apido:2008013
342:western United States
278:Heterostylum robustum
211:western United States
634:(Pt 20): 3794–3801.
574:USDA Forest Service
463:Conservation status
350:southern California
227:Megachile rotundata
41:Sancassania boharti
641:10.1242/jeb.162255
597:(A book review of
410:and mixes it with
364:, soils with some
346:central Washington
44:parasitizing him.
1116:
1115:
1088:Open Tree of Life
888:Taxon identifiers
566:"The Alkali Bee (
306:Imparipes apicola
193:
192:
160:N. melanderi
16:Species of insect
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1109:
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493:Cockerell, 1906"
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430:Feeding behavior
381:Nesting behavior
362:capillary action
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33:
21:
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1075:Observation.org
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926:Nomia melanderi
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909:
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896:Nomia melanderi
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880:
879:
843:
842:
838:
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821:"Insect Orders"
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753:Nomia melanderi
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699:
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619:Nomia melanderi
614:
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586:
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568:Nomia melanderi
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512:Nomia melanderi
508:
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491:Nomia melanderi
487:
486:
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477:
465:
448:
446:Mating behavior
432:
383:
378:
334:
293:kleptoparasites
269:
260:
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202:Nomia melanderi
189:
182:
178:Nomia melanderi
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145:
141:
52:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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944:
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916:
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898:
892:
891:
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878:
877:
836:
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793:(2): 400–406.
766:
739:
712:(3): 315–323.
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607:
579:
556:
549:
518:
502:
479:
478:
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461:
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401:Dufour's gland
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856:(1): 99–116.
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593:New Scientist
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550:9780851994482
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338:desert basins
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169:Binomial name
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32:
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22:
19:
895:
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849:
839:
828:. Retrieved
824:
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709:
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469:conservation
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241:M. rotundata
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177:
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159:
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139:
127:
39:
18:
1149:Nomia (bee)
1039:NatureServe
1000:iNaturalist
920:Wikispecies
603:Thor Hanson
457:copulations
440:amino acids
320:Ascosphaera
297:conopid fly
284:Meloe niger
107:Hymenoptera
24:Alkali bee
1123:Categories
830:2021-03-31
706:Apidologie
475:References
453:pheromones
386:using the
325:I. apicola
258:Appearance
197:alkali bee
135:Subgenus:
117:Halictidae
87:Arthropoda
872:0066-4170
807:0013-8746
726:1297-9678
680:300283411
388:mandibles
358:hydrology
289:pesticide
273:bee flies
236:honeybees
186:Cockerell
154:Species:
73:Kingdom:
67:Eukaryota
1044:2.896239
1018:10920416
935:BugGuide
911:Q2184225
905:Wikidata
734:13556738
650:28821570
424:diapause
376:Behavior
222:alkaline
144:Acunomia
113:Family:
83:Phylum:
77:Animalia
63:Domain:
1093:3273586
1057:2448451
992:5042304
966:1044724
763:: 1–33.
436:ovaries
340:in the
253:Biology
232:alfalfa
207:deserts
188:, 1906)
123:Genus:
103:Order:
97:Insecta
93:Class:
1106:179989
1080:175660
1064:NZOR:
1031:154350
979:NOMIME
940:508715
870:
805:
732:
724:
678:
648:
547:
516:, USDA
412:nectar
408:pollen
249:bees.
140:Nomia
1013:IRMNG
1005:57675
953:47NVF
730:S2CID
624:(PDF)
420:larva
397:lipid
354:silty
344:from
314:Nomia
128:Nomia
1052:NCBI
1026:ITIS
987:GBIF
974:EPPO
868:ISSN
803:ISSN
722:ISSN
676:OCLC
646:PMID
599:Buzz
545:ISBN
510:"...
370:sand
368:and
366:clay
195:The
961:EoL
948:CoL
858:doi
795:doi
714:doi
636:doi
632:220
601:by
537:doi
348:to
1125::
1103::
1090::
1077::
1054::
1041::
1028::
1015::
1002::
989::
976::
963::
950::
937::
922::
907::
866:.
854:69
852:.
848:.
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801:.
791:63
789:.
785:.
769:^
761:51
759:.
728:.
720:.
710:39
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704:.
688:^
658:^
644:.
630:.
626:.
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605:.)
591:.
572:.
570:)"
543:.
535:.
521:^
495:.
308:.
199:,
874:.
860::
833:.
809:.
797::
736:.
716::
682:.
652:.
638::
595:.
576:.
553:.
539::
499:.
489:"
184:(
146:)
142:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
