Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Naiqi Shi, Tibor G. Szanto, Jia He, Christina I. Schroeder, Andrew A. Walker, Jennifer R. Deuis, Irina Vetter, Gyoergy Panyi, Glenn F. King, Samuel D. Robinson
Summary: Most bee species have the ability to sting humans, causing painful reactions. This study investigates the venom composition of the Australian great carpenter bee and finds that it is similar to the venoms of other social bee species. The venom can directly activate mammalian sensory neurons and induce pain behaviors.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Doekele G. Stavenga, Kim Kats, Hein L. Leertouwer
Summary: This article examines the characteristics of the tropical carpenter bee's wings. By analyzing the optical properties and anatomical structure of the wings, it is found that the metallic reflection and iridescent glow on the wings are generated by melanin multilayers. These reflected light patterns may play a significant role in intraspecific signaling and recognition among conspecifics.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A-NEUROETHOLOGY SENSORY NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jess L. Vickruck, Miriam H. Richards
Summary: In the facultatively social eastern carpenter bee, females show resource sharing and group nesting under high competition pressure, preferring to nest with non-relatives to avoid kin competition costs. This behavior helps to increase their chances of successful reproduction and direct fitness.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Michael Mikat, Sandra M. Rehan
Summary: This study provides important empirical data on the costs and benefits of social nesting in a facultatively social bee. It reveals the significant impact of relatedness, brood productivity, and offspring survival on the fitness benefits of social nesting strategies.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Abdur Rauf, Shafqat Saeed, Mudssar Ali, Muhammad Hammad Nadeem Tahir
Summary: This study evaluated the substrate preference and nest architecture of cavity-nesting bees in different materials. The results showed that bee species differed significantly in occupying different nesting materials, with 8 mm and 10 mm diameters being most preferred. Nesting occurred throughout the year except in winter. This study will serve as a baseline for future studies and conservation programs of cavity-nesting bees in Pakistan.
JOURNAL OF ASIA-PACIFIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Katja Hogendoorn, Richard Glatz, Remko Leijs
Summary: The green carpenter bee population on Kangaroo Island in South Australia has been threatened by wildfires and climate change, but conservation efforts with artificial nesting substrates have successfully improved their reproductive capacity. However, declining reproduction rates in recent years due to climate change have increased the risk of extinction for the species.
AUSTRAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felicia Kueh Tai, David E. Pattemore, Mateusz Jochym, Jacqueline R. Beggs, Grant L. Northcott, Ashley N. Mortensen
Summary: Honey bees are commonly used for pesticide risk assessments, but this approach may underestimate risk to non-target species. A study found that a solitary ground-nesting bee, L. paahaumaa, was more sensitive to imidacloprid compared to honey bees, highlighting the need for more comparative toxicity studies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Phong Huy Pham
Summary: Xylocopa is an important genus in Hymenoptera: Apidae, providing valuable insights into the early stages of insect social evolution and plant pollination. This study aims to contribute to the understanding of nesting behavior in Xylocopa bees from Vietnam, finding that X. nasalis nests in dead bamboo culms and X. phalothorax prefers dead wood branches, with both nesting behaviors being unbranched.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kimberly M. Ballare, Shalene Jha
Summary: Human activities have a significant impact on global ecosystems, altering habitat suitability and movement of native species. Research on the population genetic structure of Eastern carpenter bees indicates that urban and cultivated landscapes are conducive to gene flow, while high levels of genetic relatedness were found at very fine scales in human-dominated areas. This study provides evidence of enhanced insect dispersal in human-altered landscapes and highlights the importance of understanding genetic structure in ecosystems affected by human activities.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Felipe Jackson de Farias-Silva, Breno M. Freitas
Summary: The study found that the large carpenter bee Xylocopa frontalis adjusts its activities throughout the day based on body heat generation and ambient temperature, utilizing strategies such as air convection for heat dissipation, evaporative cooling through nectar dehydration, and avoiding foraging during the hottest times of the day. The research suggests that future increases in ambient temperature could pose a serious threat to the survival and pollination services provided by this bee and other similar tropical species.
Review
Ecology
Michael C. Orr, Mirjam Jakob, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, Anne-Christine Mupepele
Summary: Compared to research on floral resources, there has been relatively little study on the threats bees face from a nesting-biology perspective. Natural history studies form the foundation of our knowledge on bee nesting, while ecological and artificial experimental studies enable us to extend and test related hypotheses in rigorous frameworks.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Philippe Tschanz, John Koestel, Valerio Volpe, Matthias Albrecht, Thomas Keller
Summary: Most research on wild bees has focused on their role as pollinators, but their importance as soil ecosystem engineers has been largely overlooked. This study used X-ray computed tomography to examine the morphology and temporal evolution of ground-nesting bee burrows, and found significant differences between species. The study highlights the potential of X-ray imaging to gain insights into the underground life of ground-nesting bees and emphasizes their importance as soil ecosystem engineers.
Article
Entomology
Madeleine M. Ostwald, Javier Alba-Tercedor, Robert L. Minckley, Stephen L. Buchmann
Summary: Male valley carpenter bees possess hypertrophied sex pheromone glands, indicating the importance of long-range pheromonal mate attraction in lek-mating species.
Article
Entomology
Roberto Catania
Summary: The African species Xylocopa pubescens Spinola has recently become established in several European countries, including Cyprus, Greece, and Spain. The spread of this non-native bee in Europe is believed to be facilitated by wood transportation and climate change. This study presents the first documented record of Xylocopa pubescens in Santorini and the Aegean Archipelago, providing further evidence from Citizen Science data collected through various websites. The presence and spread of this species in Europe are then discussed.
Article
Entomology
Nina S. Fogel, Madeleine F. Thompson, Paige A. Muniz, Gerardo R. Camilo
Summary: Animals living in urban environments face unique stresses due to increased temperatures, with some bees in the family Apidae thermoregulating through various methods. A new wing phenotype, almost transparent due to loss of coloration, has been observed in the eastern carpenter bee Xylocopa virginica. This phenomenon is found in urban areas throughout the species' range, suggesting it may be an adaptation to heat stress.
JOURNAL OF THE KANSAS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2021)