Investigations on the Biologies and Immature Stages of the Cleptoparasitic Bee Genera Radoszkowskiana and Coelioxys and Their Megachile Hosts (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae: Megachilini)

Nesting Biology of the Leafcutting BeeMegachile minutissima(Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Central Saudi Arabia

“…The presence of both sexes of M. minutissima at ßowers from March to October as well as direct observations at the nest aggregation conÞrming cell construction and provisioning as early as March, suggest that the species may be either bivoltine or multivoltine. Such observation agrees with reports from Egypt in trap-nesting conditions (Rozen and Kamel 2007, 2008). Although we did not record the type of source collected at ßowers, it seems that M. minutissima is somewhat polylectic, based on the number of plants visited in the area.…”

“…However, most males and females were collected on P. farcta, suggesting a preference for Fabaceae. Rozen and Kamel (2007) indicated that M. minutissima regularly visits Trifolium alexandrinum L., as well as alfafa (Medicago sativa L.), for pollen. Both species belong to the Fabaceae and thus support our observations.…”

“…Based on the material deposited in the Division of Entomology (Snow Entomological Collections), University of Kansas Natural History Museum (SEMC), Lawrence, KS, the species appears to be widely distributed in the Middle East, occurring in Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. In Egypt, M. minutissima seems to be bivoltine or multivoltine in trap-nesting conditions, where it is frequently parasitized by the cleptoparasitic bee Coelioxys coturnix Pé rez (Megachilini) as well as by the parasitic wasp Sapyga luteomaculata Pic (Hymenoptera: Vespoidae, Sapygidae) (Rozen and Kamel 2007, 2008. Some details of the egg and larval instars of M. minutissima were provided by Rozen and Kamel (2009).…”

Subgeneric classification and biology of the leafcutter and dauber bees (genus Megachile Latreille) of the western Palearctic (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae)

“…The nest closure consists of a layer of mud covered by a thin layer of resin, with sometimes an additional layer (2 mm) of mud. Rozen and Kamel (2007) described the biology of M. nigripes, a member of the saussurei group. The species nests in tunnels dug by the females in "adobe", i. e., hard, dry, mud walls.…”

“…Limited evidence based on floral records suggests that M. foersteri has a preference for Carduoideae (Asteraceae) (C. Praz, unpublished data). According to Rozen and Kamel (2007), the main host of M. nigripes in Egypt is Trifolium alexandrinum L. I observed M. saussurei on Medicago in Uzbekistan and in Iran (see also Popov 1946), M. flavipes and the closely related M. rubripes only on Fabaceae. As indicated by Alqarni et al (2012), many unrelated species of Pseudomegachile have conspicuously modified facial hairs; these modified hairs are always found on the clypeus but may also be found on the supraclypeal area and the frons.…”