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Apis mellifera lamarckii / Apis mellifera carnica / hygienic behavior / EgyptHygienic behavior in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is highly variable among and within populations and subspecies (Spivak and Gilliam, 1998a, b). The complex of behaviors that result in hygienic bees has been implicated in resistance to various bee diseases, including American foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae), chalkbrood (Ascosphaera apis), and the parasitic mite, Varroa destructor (Woodrow and Holst, 1942;Rothenbuhler and Thompson, 1956; Spivak and Gilliam, 1998a, b;Boecking and Spivak, 1999).The purpose of the present study was to compare the hygienic behavior of two populations of A. mellifera commonly used in Egyptian apiculture. A. m. lamarckii Cockerell is the endemic bee of Egypt, and is well adapted to the local conditions and pests of the region. However, A. m. lamarckii is considered by some beekeepers to exhibit high levels of defensive behavior and to be an inferior honey producer. Consequently, a large population of honey bees descended from A. m. carnica Pollmann is maintained commercially in Egypt. Descended primarily from A. m. carnica imported over a 30 year period (ending in 1962), these "Egyptian carnica" bees are reported to have apicultural traits (mild defensive behavior, calmness on the comb, and high honey yield) preferred by some beekeepers (Kamel, 1991).In May 2000, an apiary was established at Suez Canal University in Ismailia, Egypt, containing two bee stocks, Egyptian carnica (n = 12) and A. m. lamarckii (n = 7). The Egyptian carnica queens originated from the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture breeding program (New Valley). The A. m. lamarckii colonies were collected from mud tube hives in the Assiut region in 1999 and transferred to wooden moveable frame equipment. Subspecies assignment of the Assiut colonies was based on computer assisted morphometric analysis (Ruttner et al., 1978; unpublished data). At the time of assay, colonies were approximately equal in strength and contained three to four frames of brood housed in a single Langstroth hive body. Neither group had previously been selected for hygienic behavior. Both lines were managed to optimize colony populations for honey production.A freeze killed brood assay (Spivak and Gilliam, 1998b) was conducted by removing a 5 cm by 8 cm square sections of comb containing approximately 100 cells of capped brood from each colony. The sections were placed in a freezer for approximately 18 hours, and then the brood was thawed and placed back into the frame from which it was removed. The number of cleaned cells was observed and recorded at 4, 24, and 48 hours. A "cleaned" cell contained no visible trace of brood. Colonies that removed all of the dead brood within 48 hours of the replacement of the frozen comb were considered to exhibit hygienic behavior.The proportion of cleaned cells was determined by dividing the number of cleaned cells by the total number of cells capped at the initiation of the experiment. Proportional data were transformed with an arcsi...

In an attempt to determine whether Coelioxys and Radoszkowskiana, both cleptoparasitic members of the Megachilini, had a common cleptoparasitic ancestor, an investigation of the nesting biology and immature stages of C. (Allocoelioxys) coturnix Pérez was undertaken in Egypt. The purpose was to compare these aspects of this species with the results of a recent study of R. rufiventris (Spinola) and certain other species of Coelioxys (Rozen and Kamel, 2007). The egg of C. coturnix is deposited on the egg of Megachile minutissima Radoszkowski after the host female departs to collect cell-closure material. On hatching, the first instar, still surrounded by egg chorion, bites the developing host egg and consumes the entire egg content before feeding upon the host provisions. This behavior contrasts with certain other species of Coelioxys, whose eggs are hidden in the host cell while it is being provisioned and third instars normally kill the young host larvae. Because the behavior of C. coturnix closely mirrors that of R. rufiventris, the authors conclude that two modes of cleptoparasitism have developed in Coelioxys and that Coelioxys and Radoszkowskiana possibly had a common cleptoparasitic ancestor. The five larval instars of C. coturnix are described and compared with those of other Coelioxys species, and its first instar is compared with that of R. rufiventris.

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S u m m a r yThe diversity of solitary bees varies depending on the vegetation, nesting habitats, and nesting fragmentation. The agriculture development in the Suez Canal region is receiving a great deal of attention in Egypt, thus, the diversity of solitary bees are essential for high quality production of seeds, vegetables, and fruit. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of solitary bee populations around the Canal region. About 900 -1000 specimens of bees were collected from different locations of the Ismailia, Suez, and Sinai Governorates. Fifty-five species of bees were identified. With the exception of Melittidae family, all the bee families were present in the Canal region. The total number of species for each family were 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 species for Andrenidae, Colletidae, Apidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae, respectively. Lasioglossum mandibularie (Mo r a w i t z , 1866) is a newly recorded species collected from Egypt. In the Suez Canal region, the most abundant species found with large populations were Andrena ovatula ssp. ovatula (Kirby, 1802), Ceratina tarsata Morawitz, 1872, and Colletes lacunatus Dours, 1872.