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Amegilla- non apis pollinators
- 1. Kishor Pujar I Ph.D. PALB9014 University of Agriculture Sciences Bangalore WEL COME
- 3. Amegilla isa large genus of bees in the tribe anthophorini The genus Amegilla contains over 250 additional species Several species have blue metallic bands on the abdomen, and are referred to as blue-banded bees Amegilla bees are a group of native bee species that do not produce honey but are important pollinators of crops and wild plants Amegilla bees are not aggressive but can sting for defence They have a mild sting that is much less painful than that of a honey bee Amegilla spp
- 4. The life-cyclesof the different species have many similarities, With a life-span of approximately 6 weeks, adult Amegilla are relatively short-lived Depending on the species and the suitability of the climate, one or several generations are produced during a flight season, while immatures survive the un-favourable season in the prepupal stage in their cells (Michener 1965, Cardale 1968) Crops visited : Amegilla species visit a large range of flowering plants, such as tomato, eggplant and pepper (Bell et al., 2006, Hogendoorn et al., 2006) and belong to the group of buzz pollinating bees (Buchman 1983)
- 5. Nesting :Some species are known to nest in sand, loam or clay soils, and in soft sandstone and mud bricks. Nests are often found in large aggregations that are re-used for many generations (Michener 1960, Cardale1968). Their bright colors, nearly ubiquitous presence in Australia, readiness to forage from exotic flowers in suburban gardens and nesting behaviour ensure that this genus is well- recognised by the general public
- 6. Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum : Arthropoda Class : Insecta Order : Hymenoptera Family : Apidae Tribe : Anthophorini Genus : Amegilla
- 7. A. Confusa A. bombiformis A. zonata A. dawsoni A. qudrifasciata A. cingulata A. calens A. canifrons (Endemic to Canary Island) A. violacea A. mucorea A. fallax A. subcoerulea A. cingulifera A. comberi A. niveocincta A. perasserta A. puttalama A. subinsularis Different species of Amegilla
- 8. Commonly knownas blue-banded bee It is an Australian native bee that occurs in many other regions New guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India It appears to live in tropical and subtropical regions. The bees inhabit urban areas, woodlands and forests These bees are very important for the production of food and contribute to at least 30% of crops in Australia Amegilla cingulata
- 9. Morphological characters A.cingulata has a very striking appearance, similar to several other species of Amegilla It has pale opalescent blue stripes on its abdomen The male can be distinguished by the number of complete bands, having five as opposed to the females' four In size, A. cingulata can grow to 10–12 mm
- 10. Nesting behaviour Blue-bandedbees can sting, but are not as aggressive as other bees. They appear to be more rapid in movement than other bees A. cingulata are solitary creatures, with single females inhabiting burrows in the soft sandstone or clay Blue-banded bees tend to nest in burrows in dried-up river banks, old clay homes, and mortar between bricks, but may also burrow in soft sandstone, and areas of this type of rock can become riddled with bee tunnels etc.,
- 11. . Foraging behaviour A.cingulata in Australia collects the majority of its nectar from blue flowers, includes mountain devil and grey spider flower and lavender They also feed on some non-blue flowers such as the white form of tomato and eggplant flowers and some members of the family Verbenaceae They only have a limited foraging range around 300 m from their nest, and females make at least nine foraging flights per day
- 12. . Threat : A.cingulata is preyed upon by many animals, including the cane toad, frogs and birds Its nests are parasitized by the neon cuckoo bee Thyreus nitidulus and human activity
- 13. Amegilla zonata Amegillazonata widely distributed in SE Asia The most common blue banded bee occurring in Tamil Nadu Amegilla zonata are native medium large, long tongued pubescent 11-13mm in length Apical margins of abdominal segments 1- 4 covered in metallic blue hair Yellow markings along labrum, clypeus, base of mandibles, and medial line across head Brown, short hairs on thoracic segments Apex of final abdominal segment bilobed
- 14. Nesting behaviour Nestsare often built together in one place forming nest congregation Red soil and potting mixture are found to be the best substrates for nesting Nest size: 4 to 30 cm depth
- 15. Cylindrical brood cellsEgg on brood food Internal wax linings of brood cells
- 16. Different life stagesLarva feeding on cell linings
- 17. Foraging behaviour Flightactivity of female bee begins just before dawn and continues up-to dusk These bees were well reported pollinators of crops like tomatoes (Hoogendorn et al., 2007) and Ocimum (Sharma and Abrol, 2015) Among the various plant families Fabaceae, Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae are predominantly preferred and foraged They are attracted mainly to yellow colored flowers
- 18. Amegilla quadrifasciata Itis white-banded digger bee Present in most of central and southern Europe, in central Asia and in North Africa Size : 9–12 millimeter The thorax is orange-brown and densely hairy, while the abdomen alternate black and white transversal stripes The face has a whitish drawing The third antennal segment is about as long as the three following segments together Scopa is white, but black at the front edge Metatarsus on the hind legs is black haired
- 19. Biology Adults canbe encountered from March to June Mainly feeds on Fabaceae (Medicago sativa), Lamiaceae (Ocimum spp) They are solitary bees and do not form colonies, every female takes care of her own larvae The females lay their eggs in nests in tunnels usually excavated by themselves in loose soils In the cells they store pollen and nectar as food for the larvae The larvae pupate in Autumn and emerge as adult bees in March
- 20. Amegilla dawsoni sometimescalled the Dawson's burrowing bee It is one of the largest Australian bee species, growing to be 23 mm in length and 45 mm in wingspan Both sexes are densely furry, with the exception of their lower facial regions, which just outwards and tend to be bare, and colored from light yellow to dark brown Similar in size and coloring to carpenter bee
- 21. Sexual dimorphism Thefemales of this bee species tend to be consistently sized, with head widths around 6.4-7.4 mm The males, however, are dimorphic. They come in two sizes predominantly, the larger majors and the smaller minors. The majors and minors differ greatly in size, with head widths ranging from 4.9 to 7.3 mm. Minor males have been defined as those with head sizes less than 6.3 mm, while major males have head sizes above 6.3 mm Males are also allometrically sized, meaning that those with larger heads also have larger mandibles and broader abdomens The males of this species are covered in brown hair. Meanwhile, female A. dawsoni heads and thoraxes are covered in white hair
- 22. Mating patterns : Two distinct mating patterns arise in this bee species, due to the two size classes of males The larger males (majors) will patrol the emergence areas of the female bees. Meanwhile, the smaller class of male bee, the minors, patrol the outer perimeter of the emergence area, and wait to mate with females who escape the vicinity of their emergence holes without having mated with a major male 80% of the male population in A. dawsoni is made up of minors
- 23. When amale locates a receptive female bee, he will mount her back, and ride her over to the nearest available vegetation, after which he will begin copulation, which occurs in 3 phases In the first phase, the male will mount the female and will flicker his wings In the second phase, upon insertion of the male genitalia, the male will rapidly thrust for a few seconds. After this, he will enter the third phase, where he will disengage his genitalia and will probe the external female genitalia. After this, copulation is completed
- 24. Nesting behavior Thisbee species practices solitary nesting An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows Nesting material : clay, densely packed soil and dirt Depth : 15 to 35 cm The female bee will dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation
- 25. The femalebee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs They collect nectar by inserting their long proboscis into the flower. These bees collect nectar from four main genera of plant Cassia, Eremophila, Solanum and Trichodesma
- 26. Nesting cycle : The flight season for this bee ranges from the later months of winter to early spring The bee is univoltine – it produces only one brood per breeding season After remaining dormant until the following winter, the brood which had been laid the previous year emerges and begins the flight season and mating process The minor males, with head widths less than 6.3 mm, tended to emerge before the major males
- 27. Sexual signaling Femalebees of this species indicate sexual receptiveness with a mixture of semiochemicals, signalling chemicals Cuticular hydrocarbons, long chained fatty acids implicated in the prevention of insect desiccation, have also been implicated in the process of sexual signaling Emergent virgin A. dawsoni females release a particular mix of CHCs to indicate their receptivity to patrolling males. This blend includes significant amounts of tricosane, pentacosane and heptacosane
- 28. Panmixia : Amegilla dawsonihas been shown to be a panmictic species, where individuals are equally likely to mate with any other individual in the population. This results in completely unmitigated genetic flow, and populations with no genetic differentiation. This is a relatively rare phenomenon, especially in bees, where intraspecies genetic differentiation is common. One explanation that has been offered for this phenomenon in A. dawsoni is the irregular distribution of flowering resources due to the arid conditions of the Australian desert. These conditions could force populations in their flight seasons to aggregate in areas with abundant resources, allowing for populations that are several hundreds of kilometers apart to mix via mating
- 29. Amegilla bombiformis Commonlyknown as the teddy bear bee or golden haired mortar bee Native : Australia and also found in New Guinea It resembles bumble bee in shape The abdomen has several dark hairless bands, seven in the case of males, six for females It is similar in size to a European honeybee Covered with orange-brown fur
- 30. These beesvisits Abelia and blue flax lily flowers in the garden; males rest overnight attached to plant stems Each female builds an individual nest for herself in a small burrow in the soil. The nest consists of several urn-shaped cells at the end of a 10 cm long burrow, located in soil or earth, such as a creek bank in natural areas, or rubble in gardens, with some overhanging shelter. The teddy bear bee adds an egg to each with a food supply of pollen and nectar paste The cells themselves are 2 cm long & lined with a waterproof material Foraging and nesting behavior
- 31. A. confusa Lengthof body ranges from 9-11 mm and head and thorax covered with thick short hairs pubescence and thorax blackish grey and some time brownish yellow Legs give black appearance of short hairs but tibiae show snowy white appearance from above Wings transparent with reddish brown appearance. Mandibles and labrum black, spots on lateral angle are yellow Recently reported from Potohar districts Rawalpindi, Chakwal Distribution : Myanmar, India, Ladak South-east Asia, Africa and Pakistan
- 32. Pollination of Greenhouse Tomatoes by the Australian Blue banded bee Amegilla holmesi (Hymenoptera : Apidae) Treatments Parameter No supplementary pollination Mechanical pollination Blue banded bee pollination Fruit Weight (g) 124.7 147.2 140.8 Fruit set (%) 81.5 13.7 13.7 Seed no. 127.6 219.7 209.4 Max. Dia (mm) 00.4 70.0 09.0 Min. Dia (mm) 02.5 07.7 00.2 Roundness 0.03 0.021 0.024 Table : Comparison of mean Fruit weight, Fruit set, Seed no., Max. Dia., Min. Dia. and Roundness for 3 different treatments (Bell, 2006)
- 33. Economic or Ecologicalimportance : Little information exists on the usefulness of these bees to the lives of the people in East Africa. However, they are pollinators and thus they are likely to contribute to increased agricultural productivity and the conservation of the natural biological diversity of the region
- 34. Threats : These arethreatened by various factors such as habitat degradation, agricultural intensification and the misuse of insecticides etc., Amegilla in East Africa are likely to be affected by pests and diseases but information on this subject is lacking
- 35.
Editor's Notes
- #9 Amegilla cingulata, commonly known as the blue-banded bee, is an Australian native bee that occurs in many other regions. Currently, several scientific organizations are conducting research on how the blue-banded bee benefits agriculture through its distinctive "buzz pollination". These bees are very important for the production of food and contribute to at least 30% of crops in Australia
- #10 A. cingulata has a very striking appearance, similar to several other species of Amegilla. Unlike honey bees, it has pale opalescent blue stripes on its abdomen. The male can be distinguished by the number of complete bands, having five as opposed to the females' four.[2] In size, A. cingulata can grow to 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in).
- #11 Life cycle A. cingulata builds a solitary nest, but often close to other conspecifics. Blue-banded bees tend to nest in burrows in dried-up river banks, old clay homes, and mortar between bricks, but may also burrow in soft sandstone, and areas of this type of rock can become riddled with bee tunnels.[4] Cells, at the end of tunnels, contain an egg with a pollen/nectar mixture for the larval food
- #12 A. cingulata in Australia collects the majority of its nectar from blue flowers, although others investigated include mountain devil (Lambertia formosa) and grey spider flower (Grevillea buxifolia), as well as the introduced Abelia grandiflora and lavender (Lavandula species).[2] They also feed on some nonblue flowers such as the white form of Salvia coccinea, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and eggplant (Solanum melongena) flowers, white flowers of Leea indica, and some members of the family Verbenaceae. The bees use a process that involves clinging onto flowers and vibrating powerfully, which increases the release of pollen. They only have a limited foraging range around 300 m from their nest, and females make at least nine foraging flights per day
- #13 A. cingulata in Australia collects the majority of its nectar from blue flowers, although others investigated include mountain devil (Lambertia formosa) and grey spider flower (Grevillea buxifolia), as well as the introduced Abelia grandiflora and lavender (Lavandula species).[2] They also feed on some nonblue flowers such as the white form of Salvia coccinea, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and eggplant (Solanum melongena) flowers, white flowers of Leea indica, and some members of the family Verbenaceae. The bees use a process that involves clinging onto flowers and vibrating powerfully, which increases the release of pollen. They only have a limited foraging range around 300 m from their nest, and females make at least nine foraging flights per day
- #14 megilla zonata is a species of blue-banded bees belonging to the family Apidae, widely distributed in SE Asia, where it is often confused with the Australian species Amegilla cingulata.
- #19 Their long proboscises allow them to sip nectar from a variety of flowers and the hairy hind legs facilitate the collection and transport of pollen
- #22 his bee species practices solitary nesting, though often the nests are clustered close together.[8] An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows.[3] The female bee builds her nest by digging straight down into clay, or other densely packed soil and dirt. She will dig to depths between 15 and 35 centimeters.[8] The female bee will then turn to dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells. The horizontal shaft is extended with each subsequent brood cell that she creates. Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation.[9] The female bee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from four different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs
- #23 his bee species practices solitary nesting, though often the nests are clustered close together.[8] An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows.[3] The female bee builds her nest by digging straight down into clay, or other densely packed soil and dirt. She will dig to depths between 15 and 35 centimeters.[8] The female bee will then turn to dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells. The horizontal shaft is extended with each subsequent brood cell that she creates. Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation.[9] The female bee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from four different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs
- #24 his bee species practices solitary nesting, though often the nests are clustered close together.[8] An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows.[3] The female bee builds her nest by digging straight down into clay, or other densely packed soil and dirt. She will dig to depths between 15 and 35 centimeters.[8] The female bee will then turn to dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells. The horizontal shaft is extended with each subsequent brood cell that she creates. Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation.[9] The female bee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from four different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs
- #25 his bee species practices solitary nesting, though often the nests are clustered close together.[8] An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows.[3] The female bee builds her nest by digging straight down into clay, or other densely packed soil and dirt. She will dig to depths between 15 and 35 centimeters.[8] The female bee will then turn to dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells. The horizontal shaft is extended with each subsequent brood cell that she creates. Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation.[9] The female bee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from four different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs
- #26 his bee species practices solitary nesting, though often the nests are clustered close together.[8] An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows.[3] The female bee builds her nest by digging straight down into clay, or other densely packed soil and dirt. She will dig to depths between 15 and 35 centimeters.[8] The female bee will then turn to dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells. The horizontal shaft is extended with each subsequent brood cell that she creates. Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation.[9] The female bee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from four different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs
- #27 his bee species practices solitary nesting, though often the nests are clustered close together.[8] An active nesting colony may contain up to 10,000 burrows.[3] The female bee builds her nest by digging straight down into clay, or other densely packed soil and dirt. She will dig to depths between 15 and 35 centimeters.[8] The female bee will then turn to dig horizontally. In the horizontal shaft, she will dig downwards to create brood cells. The horizontal shaft is extended with each subsequent brood cell that she creates. Occasionally, females will layer two brood cells on top of one another in a doublet formation.[9] The female bee will prepare the inside of each cell by laying down a layer of wax. She fills the layered cell with nectar and pollen from four different plant genera. With this wet mixture in place, she will lay the egg on top of the cell, and then cap the cell with mud. She repeats this until she is done laying her eggs