Abstract
We cataloged the bee fauna to determine potential pollinators in upland and wet longleaf pine savannas in Louisiana. A total of 122 species of bees were collected from four savanna sites. A regional list of 165 species was produced by adding species collected from nearby savannas in Mississippi. Our Louisiana survey documented range extensions for 23 species, 64 new state records, and two possible new species. Upland savannas contained a higher proportion of range restricted bees. Three species collected at upland sites are typically associated with prairies or grasslands and are potential targets for conservation efforts. Biogeographically, the fauna is eastern or southeastern with 68% of the species ranges extending eastward. Species composition comparisons of the Louisiana savanna fauna with other grassland and sand scrub habitats indicated 45% overlap with Mississippi, 30% with southern Florida, 29% with Indiana/Illinois, and 22% with Minnesota. Based on our Louisiana study and one nearby in Mississippi, longleaf pine savannas on the western edge of the East Gulf Coastal Plain are likely to contain close to 200 species of bees.
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