Notes on Cocoons and Parasites of Melissodes Obliqua and Nests of Perdita Opuntiae (Hymenoptera-Apoidea)

The BeeSvastra sabinensis: Nesting Biology, Mature Oocyte, Postdefecating Larva, and Association withTriepeolus penicilliferus(Apidae: Apinae: Eucerini and Nomadinae: Epeolini)

“…The only other investigations on the biology and immatures of the genus Svastra are those of Custer (1928Custer ( , 1929 and Rozen (1964) of S. o. obliqua. Custer (1928, who assigned the species to Melissodes, recognized that many nests were occupied by more than one female, identified Triepeolus concavus Cresson as its possible cleptoparasite, and presented diagrams of a nest (showing antechamber) and a close-up of the cell containing provisions and a small larva.…”

“…In his subsequent paper, Custer (1929) concluded that the Triepeolus was "carnivorous. " Although 29 of the total 30 cleptoparasites died before maturing, all were in cocoons identical to those spun by S. o. obliqua.…”

“…In the final section of this paper (see Discussion), this study is compared with the early account of the biology of this species (Rozen, 1983) and with early biological investigations on other species of Svastra (Rau, 1922;Custer 1928Custer , 1929Rozen, 1964 2 ).…”

First records, phenology, habitat, and host-plant associations of <i>Macrotera opuntiae</i> (Cockerell) (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) in Montana

“…3,4). After its discovery, Custer (1928Custer ( , 1929 conducted detailed studies on the nesting habits and biology of this species. Bennett & Breed (1985) later conducted further study of its nesting biology, mating behavior, and foraging ecology.…”

“…This species is one of a small group of stone-nesting bee species and makes its nests in sandstone (Custer, 1928;Michener, 2007;Danforth et al, 2019). There is, however, some debate as to whether the bees use existing cracks or actually tunnel into solid sandstone (Custer, 1928(Custer, , 1929Bennett & Breed, 1985). Macrotera opuntiae was described by Cockerell (1922) after its discovery at White Rocks Nature Preserve (a Laramie sandstone formation; Cockerell, 1928) near Boulder, Colorado.…”