Scientific note: mass-nesting of a native bee Hylaeus (Euprosopoides) ruficeps kalamundae (Cockerell, 1915) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Hylaeinae) in polystyrene

Apidologie - Tập 51 - Trang 107-111 - 2019
Kit S. Prendergast1
1School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia

Tóm tắt

Plastic is pervasive across ecosystems, with polystyrene being a common plastic synthetic material used in buildings. Although polystyrene is used in hive construction for European honeybees and managed megachilids, cavity-nesting colletids have never been documented to nest in such materials. Here, observations of the solitary native bee Hylaeus (Euprosopoides) ruficeps kalamundae mass-nesting in polystyrene insulation boards in a house in Darlington, Western Australia, are reported. This represents the first instance of a Hylaeus species nesting in polystyrene. The abundance of individuals nesting in this material over successive years suggests this behaviour is not detrimental to the fitness of this species; however, experimental studies comparing fitness between polystyrene and natural materials are required. These observations contribute to the recognition that anthropogenic materials are increasingly being used by wild animals.

Tài liệu tham khảo

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