Test

This will translate this blog to speech.

A blog that will gradually post the results of a study of the bees found by refuge biologists and volunteers using bee bowls traps on USFWS Region 5 National Wildlife Refuges in the Northeastern United States.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Parker River NWR

This is a summary of data from 6 fields from the Parker River NWR Complex during late August 2008.

A complete table of the data is available from Leo Shapiro (lshapiro@umd.edu), Sam Droege (sdroege@usgs.gov), or the refuge biologist.

Below is a table of the site numbers and the brief site description.

Description Site
PRNWR Site 1 ;North Pool Field;Trial Run 5595
PRNWR Site 2 ;Dunes@Lot3 5596
PRNWR Site 3 ;North Pool Overlook 5597
PRNWR Site 4 ;BF Bird Blind 5598
PRNWR Site 5 ;BF Field 5599
PRNWR Site 6 ;Dunes@Lot 5 5600

Below is a table of the results by site:

Species 5595 5596 5597 5598 5599 5600 Grand Total
Agapostemon splendens
3


2 5
Agapostemon texanus

2


2
Agapostemon virescens 1




1
Augochlorella aurata 8

1

9
Bombus fervidus
1 2 1 1 1 6
Bombus impatiens
1



1
Ceratina calcarata
1 5
1
7
Ceratina dupla 1 3
1

5
Halictus confusus 1
1
1
3
Halictus ligatus

2 1

3
Heriades leavitti



1
1
Lasioglossum bruneri




1 1
Lasioglossum coreopsis 1




1
Lasioglossum coriaceum
1



1
Lasioglossum ellisiae



1
1
Lasioglossum JG-3
4 21 4
1 30
Lasioglossum marinum




2 2
Lasioglossum pilosum 4 1
4
1 10
Lasioglossum vierecki


4

4
Megachile brevis 1 1 2


4
Grand Total 17 16 35 16 5 8 97

Interpretation of the results: The bees here indicate a classic dune/deep sand site. There are two species that rarely occur outside of deep sand areas: A. splendens, and L vierecki and there are several species that are restricted to dune sites such as L. marinum and L. JG_3. L. marinum is a well known species that occurs in dune sites along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast seaboards.


Lasioglossum marinum
collection localities



L. JG_3 is an undescribed species that Jason Gibbs at York University discovered hiding among specimens we had collected from the end of Long Island and at Chincoteague NWR. Only 4 or so specimens were known before so this is a significant addition to what is known about that species (and a state record) and we have sent several specimens to Jason for DNA extraction.

The other species found at this site are around regionally, but some, such as L. pilosum, H. leavitti, and M. brevis tend toward drier sites. Heriades leavitti is potentially a state record too and we have also found them on Assateague Island, but the females are difficult to ID and there is controversy about it possibly be the same as H. variolosus so we will likely send it off too for DNA barcoding. So, the fields in this refuge represent some high quality dune habitats that are nice to see.

Sam and Leo

Furue beach in the rain:

Gray water and gray sand

Blend without an edge.

- Buson


Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Rhode Island NWR Complex

All:

This is a summary of data from 8 fields from the Rhode Island NWR Complex during late August 2008.

A complete table of the data is available from Leo Shapiro (lshapiro@umd.edu), Sam Droege (sdroege@usgs.gov), or the refuge biologist.

Below is a table of the site numbers and the brief site description.

SiteDescription
5558RINWRC Site 1;Ninigret NWR
5559RINWRC Site 2;Ninigret NWR
5560RINWRC Site 3;Ninigret NWR
5561RINWRC Site 4;Ninigret NWR
5562RINWRC Site 5;Trustom Pond NWR
5563RINWRC Site 6;Trustom Pond NWR
5564RINWRC Site 7;Trustom Pond NWR
5565RINWRC Site 8;Trustom Pond NWR



Below is a table of the results by site:


Species55585559556055615562556355645565Grand Total
Agapostemon texanus11





2
Agapostemon virescens
3
21197133
Andrena brevipalpis1






1
Anthidium manicatum



2


2
Apis mellifera



1

12
Augochlorella aurata
11
1
249
Augochloropsis metallica






11
Bombus impatiens




1

1
Ceratina calcarata

1


135
Ceratina calcarata/dupla
1





1
Ceratina dupla3111121212
Coelioxys sayi






11
Colletes americanus





1
1
Halictus confusus



1


1
Halictus ligatus61216111129
Hylaeus affinis/modestus1


31139
Lasioglossum anomalum






11
Lasioglossum cressonii





2
2
Lasioglossum ellisiae1110
7101


39
Lasioglossum imitatum
1





1
Lasioglossum nymphaearum




1
12
Lasioglossum pectorale
1



1
2
Lasioglossum pilosum145271
1131
Lasioglossum rohweri291
12211138
Lasioglossum sp.



122
5
Megachile brevis



1

12
Megachile latimanus




1

1
Megachile montivaga




1

1
Melissodes bimaculata
1





1
Sphecodes atlantis1

2



3
Sphecodes davisii






11
Sphecodes dichrous



1


1
Grand Total4046142838213123241


Interpretation of the results: Excellent number of bees and diversity in these fields! 30 species, 241 specimens, which comes to about 2 bees on average per bowl. First let's note a set of new state records for Rhode Island based on the list maintained by John Ascher at the American Museum: Augochloropsis metallica, Lasioglossum anomalum, Anthidium manicatum, Megachile montivaga, and Coelioxys sayi. Now before the refuge's head gets too swollen, the list of bees for the Rhode Island is low and all these species have been found in neighboring states, but on the other hand it shows the type of contribution that can be made in light of a general lack of understanding of bees....so good work!

Anthidium manicatum is an interesting new arrival to the U.S. Here's the current distribution (and a few West Coast records that are not shown). Moving north and west it will likely soon cover the region. It is particularly fond of nice gardens that have Stachys, which it uses to line its nests.




Anthidium manicatum by imarsman from creative commons



Lasioglossum ellisiae would have been called L. tegulare in the recent past, but there is a paper in review that splits these two apart. The Lasioglossum sp. are all males that at this point I can't identify to species. There are an interesting number of nest parasites in this group of bees (these are bees that lay their eggs in the nests of other bee species rather than providing for their young themselves). The 3 Sphecodes are parasites of Lasioglossum species and the Coelioxys sayi is a parasite of Megachile bees.


Ninigret fields have many more H. ligatus, L. ellisiae, and L. pilosum than Trustom pond, which is more characterized by higher numbers of Agapostemon virescens and Hylaeus. Based on the species list it looks like the Ninigret fields are more open and potentially sandy, but they don't have any of the species that are characteristic of deep sand. The species diversity at Ninigret is much lower at 15 species to Trustom's 26. Again, a nice set of bees for this refuge complex.

Sam and Leo

Bee Song



Bees in the late summer sun

Drone their song

Of yellow moons

Trimming black velvet

Droning, droning a sleepysong.




- Carl Sandburg

Site 5565

Site 5564

Site 5563

Site 5562

Site 5561

Site 5560

Site 5559

Site 5558


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With Natural History there is no need to go to the moon or Madagascar; there is more to find in your woodlot than in our entire solar system.