Nest preference and ecology of cavity-nesting bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

• Artificial nest boxes, an effective tool for nesting and conservation of bees. • Colonization of bees helpful in studying ecology and nesting biology. • The efficacy of nest boxes depends on nesting materials and dimensions of cavities. • Bamboo and drilled wooden log is the most preferred nesting material. • Six bee species along with one parasitic bee did nesting in our nesting materials. Among bees, 85 % are solitary species, most of them are ground-nester and some are cavity-nesting and construct their nests in pre-existing cavities. This work was conducted to evaluate the substrate preference and nest architecture (acceptance, occupation percentage, seasonality and parasitism) of cavity-nesting bees in different substrates. Trap nests offered comprised five different materials (drilled cavities in wood, bamboo, cardboard tubes, plastic soda straws, and mud blocks). These were installed in four districts for two years. The nesting cavities of five different diameters (6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 mm) were provided in each nesting material with an average length of 180 ± 9.92 mm. In all the materials, 5400 nesting cavities were offered, out of which 628 were colonized by bees from two families (Megachilidae and Apidae) and six species ( Megachile cephalotes, M. lanata, M. bicolor, Xylocopa basalis, X. fenestrata and Ceratina smaragdula ), including one parasitic bee ( Euaspis carbonaria ). The bee species differed significantly in occupying five nesting materials. The most preferred diameters were 8 mm and 10 mm, with 52.20% and 29.45% of colonization, respectively. Nesting was done 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.