Pruned petioles of papaya as nesting sites of the leafcutting bee, Megachile laticeps Smith and its pollen fidelity

Abstract

The nest selection and pollen fidelity of the leafcutting bee, Megachile laticeps was studied. Mature and nearly dry petioles of papaya were pruned to simulate hollow stems of other plants to attract females of M. laticeps for construction of its nest. The nest occupancy and adult emergence rate were 64.70% and 89.07% respectively, with an average of 12.7 ± 2.11 cells per nest. Scopal pollen loads from foraging adult female bees were removed and identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Pigeon pea, sunnhemp, and field bean pollen (Fabaceae) made up on an average of 54% of total pollen grains carried in the scopae of adult female bees. Nest pollen analysis indicated that Fabaceae pollen was the most prevalent in the brood provision. M. laticeps in a farm landscape utilized the pruned hollow petioles of standing papaya plant and local floral resources. This behavior shows the importance of pollinator species’ characteristics for developing conservation strategies to enhance pollination services in agro-ecosystems.