Nesting habitat of ground‐nesting bees: a review

Abstract

1. About 3/4 of all wild bee species nest in the soil and spend much of their life cycle underground. These insects require suitable environmental conditions for nest construction and for the development and survival of their offspring. However, there is little quantitative information on the nesting habitat requirements and preferences of ground-nesting bees. Moreover, there are almost no data on the effects of nesting conditions on these bees' fitness. 2. Here, to better understand the factors that influence nest-site selection in ground-nesting bees, we synthesise the literature on the nesting-habitat associations of these important pollinators. We also review techniques that can be used to study the nesting preferences of ground-nesting bees. 3. Our review reveals enormous variation among bee species in their associations with such nesting-habitat attributes as soil texture, compaction, moisture, temperature, ground surface features, and proximity to conspecifics or floral resources. However, more studies-particularly experimental ones-are needed to segregate the influence of each factor on bees' choices of nesting location, since multiple factors are often correlated. It is also unclear whether nesting-habitat associations vary geographically or seasonally within species, or phylogenetically among ground-nesting bee species, partly because we lack information on nesting habitat for many species. 4. We argue that studies using established habitat-selection methods are essential to properly identify nesting-habitat preferences of ground-nesting species. Finally, more research on nesting ecology is needed (especially in agroecosystems) to determine how best to support this diverse group of bees and the vital ecosystem service they provide.

Nesting behaviour and foraging characteristics of Andrena cineraria (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

“…In Kashmir region, the flower blooming periods range from 1st week of April to 4th week of July, and during this period maximum of the nests were discovered from 2013 to 2016. Total of 16 nest aggregations were observed in the plan areas of about 4-meter-wide, that is in collaboration with Antoine and Forrest (2020) who observed that 75% of the bees nest in plan soil. The variation in nest aggregations is contributed by landscape composition, which intern has strong impact on bee ability to locate and obtain quality nesting and provisioning resources.…”

“…Andrena cineraria prefer compact clay surfaces for nesting, and female guard the burrow with his head, and male appear prior to females and disappear in the start of June. Antoine and Forrest (2020) observed that Andrenidae species prefer comparatively compact surfaces for construction of their nesting cavity. Generally, among all wild bee species the clay soils are most preferred for nest construction; while as some wasp species prefer soils with higher proportion of sand (90%) ( Lybrand et al2020 ).…”

Nesting Biology of the Solitary Ground-Nesting Bee Diadasina riparia (Apidae: Emphorini)

“…This characteristic was also observed for D. distincta, which can undergo up to five generations a year (Martins et al, 1990). The females' nest in the ground is a common feature among the group of solitary bees (see in Antoine & Forrest, 2021). Site selection is an important part of the nesting process.…”

Intensive monitoring for bees in North America: indispensable or improvident?

“…If many of the objectives of surveillance monitoring are unlikely to be achieved in a timely fashion, why are bee and pollination researchers not emphasising funding for studies of the behaviour, ecology, and natural history of individual species that might actually lead to management solutions? For example, ≥ 75% of bees nest in the ground (Harmon‐Threatt, 2020; Antoine & Forrest, 2021) yet we have detailed information on nesting requirements and management for few of these important pollinators. If we are to rescue or preserve populations of ground‐nesting bees, we must know what their nesting requirements are and how best to provide and maintain them (Ballare et al ., 2019; Davis et al ., 2020; Hennessey et al ., 2021).…”