Cynthia King

Department of Land and

Natural Resources

Division of Forestry and Wildlife

The Nest Architecture of

Hylaeus anthracinus

and other Coastal Solitary Bees

2015 Hawai‘i Conservation Conference

Jason R. Graham

Plant and Environmental

Protection Services

University of Hawaii

Will Haines

Plant and Environmental

Protection Services

University of Hawaii

Ultimate goal: increase populations in the wild

Develop a captive breeding program

- rearing immatures

- artificial diets or artificial forage

- mating cages

- artificial nesting situation

Augment existing habitat to support an

increased population of native Hylaeus

- deploying artificial nest material

- improving forage landscape

- pest control

Sesbania tomentosa

Scaevola sericea

Sesuvium portulacastrum

Sida fallax

Chamaesyce celastroides

Chamaesyce degeneri

Heliotropium anomalum

Myoporum sandwicense

Hedyotis coriacea

Yellow-faced bee

(Hylaeus spp.)

Images: Graham, Peebles, Phillips, Jennings, Cordiner

non-native

introduction

Populations monitored on Oahu

candidate for

protectionnon-native

introduction

non-native

introduction

dentipessmaragdula

Hylaeus

Ceratina

Mokuleia

Hylaeus populations at Kahuku

Hylaeus populations at Sandy Beach

Dissecting nests and rearing immatures

Nest parameters: Hylaeus anthracinus

Length of tunnel: 57.8 ± 6.19 mm

Inside diameter

of nest:

3.24 ± 0.05 mm

Outside diameter

of branch:

13.62 ± 1.7 mm

Length of nest: 29.42 ± 4.31 mm

Length of cells:

8.13 ± 0.35 mm

# of cells per nest: 2.52 ± 0.32 cells

Thickness of

cell cappings:

0.23 ± 0.01 mm

Nest material: Glandular secretion

Reared from: 11 nests: coral/rocks

11 nests: Scaevola sericea (Beach Naupaka)

8 nests: Tournefortia argentea (Tree Heliotrope)

12

14

4

Nest parameters: Hylaeus anthracinus

Inside diameter

of stem nests:

3.36 ± 0.05 mm

Inside diameter

of coral nests:

3.34 ± 0.07 mm

Nest parameters: Hylaeus strenuus

Length of tunnel: 82.85 ± 8.92 mm

Inside diameter

of nest:

3.41 ± 0.07 mm

Outside diameter

of branch:

11.41 ± 0.67 mm

Length of nest: 44.19 ± 8.17 mm

Length of cells:

8.09 ± 0.85 mm

# of cells per nest: 3.3 ± 0.44 cells

Thickness of

cell cappings:

0.36 ± 0.08 mm

Nest material: Glandular secretion

Reared from: 11 nests: Scaevola sericea (Beach Naupaka)

14 nests: Tournefortia argentea (Tree Heliotrope)

6

7

12

Hylaeus nest Egg

Larva

White pupa

Darkening pupa

Pupa “crawler”

Adult

Nest parameters: Ceratina smaragdula

Length of tunnel: 69.77 ± 4.83 mm

Inside diameter

of nest:

3.36 ± 0.03 mm

Outside diameter

of branch:

11.26 ± 0.44 mm

Length of nest: 40.77 ± 3.2 mm

Length of cells:

9.14 ± 0.38 mm

# of cells per nest: 2.68 ± 0.19 cells

Thickness of

cell cappings:

4.47 ± 0.21 mm

Nest material: Glandular secretion

Reared from: 23 nests: Scaevola sericea (Beach Naupaka)

30 nests: Tournefortia argentea (Tree Heliotrope)

25

13

15

Nest parameters: Ceratina dentipes

Length of tunnel: 55.05 ± 11.93 mm

Inside diameter

of nest:

3.02 ± 0.44 mm

Outside diameter

of branch:

9.77 ± 1.14 mm

Length of nest: 41.22 ± 9.69 mm

Length of cells:

5.5 ± 0.93 mm

# of cells per nest: 3.6 ± 0.79 cells

Thickness of

cell cappings:

2.75 ± 0.45 mm

Nest material: Wood pulp

Reared from: 4 nests: Scaevola sericea (Beach Naupaka)

4 nests: Tournefortia argentea (Tree Heliotrope)

6

1

1

white pupa

dark pupa

“crawler”

adult

egg

larva

Ceratina nest

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

OD

branch

Tunnel

Length

Nest

Length Nest ID

# of

Cells

Length of

Cells

Cell Cap

Thickness

Ceratina

dentipes 9.77 55.05 41.22 3.02 3.60 5.50 2.75

Ceratina

smaragdula 11.26 69.77 40.77 3.36 2.68 9.14 4.47

Hylaeus

strenuus 11.41 82.85 44.19 3.41 3.30 8.09 0.36

Hylaeus

anthracinus 13.62 57.80 29.42 3.24 2.52 8.13 0.23

Ceratina, 74

Hylaeus, 82

Empty, 92

Ants, 23

Sick, 26

NEST CONTENTS

NEST CONTENTS

Unknown, 13

dentipes, 8

smaragdula, 53

CERATINA

Hylaeus, 82

NEST CONTENTS

Unknown, 52

anthracinus, 30

strenuus, 25

HYLAEUS

Ants, 23

NEST CONTENTS

Anoplolepis gracilipes

Ochetellus glaber

Pheidole megacephala

Solenopsis geminata

Solenopsis papuana

Tetramorium bicarinatum

Sick, 26NEST CONTENTS

Why are native bees declining?

What we have learned during this study,

and how it can help:

- Nest parameters of Hylaeus anthracinus, to guide artificial nest design and habitat

enhancement needs

- Nest parameters of non-native, coastal bees, to determine nest resource competition

- Development of Hylaeus anthracinus, to design captive rearing protocols

- Development of non-native, coastal bees, to understand competitor life histories

- Prevalence of Hylaeus on Oahu, to determine population strengths and understand

forage/nest ranges

- Prevalence of non-native, coastal bees on Oahu, to better understand competition

- Identification of pests, parasites and pathogens that may be affecting native Hylaeus

populations, to guide management methods to control or eliminate these threats

Next steps…

- Enhance habitat

- Captive breeding

- Outreach programs

- Collaboration (landscape firms/schools)

- Pest control

- Competition reduction

- Test for pathogens

- Screen for parasites

Mahalo

- Thomas Ernst – UHM JABSOM

- Will Haines- UHM PEPS

- Kapua Kawelo- OANRP

- Cynthia King- DLNR

- Karl Magnacca - OANRP

- Sheldon Plentovich - USFWS

- Ethel Villalobos – UHM PEPS

Funding

- DoD Legacy Resource Management Program

- USFWS Coastal Progam

- State of Hawaii DLNR-DOFAW

References

Magnacca, K. (2005) Species Profile: Hylaeus anthracinus. In Shepherd, M.D., D.M. Vaughan, and S. H. Black (Eds.). Red List of Pollinator Insects of North America. CD-ROM Version 1 (May 2005). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Magnacca, K. N. and B. C. Danforth (2006) Evolution and biogeography of native Hawaiian Hylaeus bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae). Cladistics 22 (5), 393–411.

Magnacca, K. N. and B. C. Danforth (2007) Low nuclear DNA variation supports a recent origin of Hawaiian Hylaeus bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43(3): 908-915.

Magnacca, K. M. (2007a) Conservation status of the endemic bees of Hawaii, Hylaeus (Nesoprosopis) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae). Pacific Science 61(2): 173-190.

Magnacca, K. M. (2007b) New records of Hylaeus (Nesoprosopis) and Ceratina bees in Hawai‘i. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 96: 44-45.

Schonberg, L., et al. (2009) Petition to list two species of Hawaiian Yellow-faced bees Hylaeus anthracinus and Hylaeus longiceps as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The XercesSociety for Invertebrate Conservation. 45 pp.

Hylaeus found in collections from Oahu

Snelling, 2003

Magnacca, 2007, 2011

Magnacca et al., 2013

No recent collections

Magnacca, 2007

No recent collections

Magnacca, 2007

1914

No recent collections

Magnacca, 2007

1914

1930s

Magnacca, 2007

Candidates for protection as endangered species

Hylaeus found on Oahu during this study

Hylaeus found on Oahu during this study

1(1)

Poamoho

(1)

Kahuku

Hylaeus populations observed

1(1)

Poamoho

(1)

Kahuku

candidate for

protection

non-native

introduction