The Solitary Bees : Biology, Evolution, Conservation / Bryan N. Danforth, Robert L. Minckley, John L. Neff, Frances Fawcett.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Danforth, Bryan N., Author.

Minckley, Robert L., Author.

Neff, John L., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bees--Behavior.

Bees.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (503 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2019]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

The most up-to-date and authoritative resource on the biology and evolution of solitary beesWhile social bees such as honey bees and bumble bees are familiar to most people, they comprise less than 10 percent of all bee species in the world. The vast majority of bees lead solitary lives, surviving without the help of a hive and using their own resources to fend off danger and protect their offspring. This book draws on new research to provide a comprehensive and authoritative overview of solitary bee biology, offering an unparalleled look at these remarkable insects.The Solitary Bees uses a modern phylogenetic framework to shed new light on the life histories and evolution of solitary bees. It explains the foraging behavior of solitary bees, their development, and competitive mating tactics. The book describes how they construct complex nests using an amazing variety of substrates and materials, and how solitary bees have co-opted beneficial mites, nematodes, and fungi to provide safe environments for their brood. It looks at how they have evolved intimate partnerships with flowering plants and examines their associations with predators, parasites, microbes, and other bees. This up-to-date synthesis of solitary bee biology is an essential resource for students and researchers, one that paves the way for future scholarship on the subject.Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Solitary Bees also documents the critical role solitary bees play as crop pollinators, and raises awareness of the dire threats they face, from habitat loss and climate change to pesticides, pathogens, parasites, and invasive species.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER 1. Introduction

CHAPTER 2. Bee Phylogeny, Bee Diversity, and the Distinction between Solitary and Social Bees

CHAPTER 3. The Solitary Bee Life Cycle

CHAPTER 4. Alternative Male Mating Tactics: The Race to Be First and the Race to Be Last

CHAPTER 5. The Surprising Utility of Males

CHAPTER 6. Nest Architecture and Brood- Cell Construction

CHAPTER 7. The Tools of the Trade: Floral Rewards and How Bees Harvest Them

CHAPTER 8. Foraging and Provisioning Behavior

CHAPTER 9. The Microcosm of the Brood Cell: A Bestiary of In- Nest Mutualists

CHAPTER 10. Brood-Parasitic (Cuckoo) Bees

CHAPTER 11. Non-Bee Parasites and Predators

CHAPTER 12. Bees and Plants: Love Story, Arms Race, or Something in Between?

CHAPTER 13. Solitary Bees and Agricultural Pollination

CHAPTER 14. Threats to Solitary Bees and Their Biological Conservation

CHAPTER 15. Epilogue: The Scala Naturae

Literature Cited

Subject Index

Taxonomic Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 06. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9780691189321

0691189323

OCLC:

1103605860