Abstract
There is a severe information gap regarding wild bees in northern Mexico. The present study is a contribution to knowledge of the distribution, habitat preferences and floral usage patterns of bees of the genus Xylocopa in the state of Nuevo León. Field sampling was done using aerial net and pan traps (yellow, blue, white and pink) at 35 sites throughout the state. Xylocopa species were found at only seven of these sites. Four of the five species, previously reported for the state were collected plus two new state records (Xylocopa micans and X. strandi), bringing the total number of species in the state to seven. Individuals were collected visiting only flowers of the Fabaceae and Bignoniaceae families, and they occurred primarily in shrub lands and disturbed areas.
Highlights
Xylocopa is a cosmopolitan genus of approximately 470 species of medium to very large bees (Michener 2007)
Six species were identified from field collected specimens: Xylocopa californica (1♀, 2♂), X. mexicanorum (16♀, 4♂), X. tabaniformis (4♀, 3♂), X. lateralis (1♂) which had previously been reported from the state, and two additional species, X. micans (3♀, 3♂) and X. strandi (1 ♀), as new state records
With adding X. fimbriata which has been reported by literature for Nuevo Leon, but not collected during this survey, this brings the total number of species of Xylocopa in the state of Nuevo León to seven
Summary
Xylocopa is a cosmopolitan genus of approximately 470 species of medium to very large bees (Michener 2007). Five species of Xylocopa have been reported from the state of Nuevo León: X. fimbriata, X. mexicanorum and X. tabaniformis, X. lateralis and Xylocopa californica (Ayala et al 1996; Ascher & Pickering 2011). Most of these records lack precise locality data. It is alarming for a country such as Mexico with high level of complexity of topography, climate and biodiversity to find large zones where little is known about the diversity and distribution of its native bees (Ayala et al 1996). The objective of the present work is to contribute to our knowledge of Xylocopa species for Nuevo Leon, providing data about vegetation on in which they occur and the plant species they visit, with the ultimate goal of assembling a formal collection of native bees for the state
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