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Dear All & especially those who know bees, Aug 9, 2015
Last evening I noticed small bees (6-7 mm long) clustered, usually =
abdomen up, on Hieracium pilosella receptacles. Having seen this last =
year (pasted below) I took a sample; caught 5 of 6 that were perched on =
one receptacle (my number A1242). And a few minutes previously I caught =
one; also on a H. pilosella receptacle.
All six are male !!
Using the key in Packer et al. 2007 I arrive at Sphecodes and In =
Discoverlife end in a cluster of four species (carolinus, fattigi, =
galerus & solonis) none of which are known in NS so I have likely taken =
wrong branches.
The markings are fairly distinctive so may ring a bell--
Background color black sometimes obscured by white hair and most hair is =
white.
Proximal outer corner of all tibia has an ivory patch; tiny, larger =
and largest on pro- meso- and metatibium respectively.
1st segment of meso and metatarsus is pale yellow to almost white =
and the terminal half of the 5th segment of all tarsi is amber.
Labrum large, ivory with 5-6 black dots near lower margin.=20
yt, DW
START OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Hi Again, Aug 16, 2014
The following evening (i.e. Aug 13 as I recall) I checked this patch =
and, approaching too rapidly, disturbed a large cluster of 5-6 bees who =
took off in different directions from the receptacle. Over the next =
several minutes several bees landed alone on as many receptacles, =
suggesting (contrary to previous indications) that something about the =
receptacle is attractive. One bee that was close enough for me to see =
clearly, without my moving, was upside down but I was not well =
positioned to see possible tongue movement.
Having realized this morning that this patch of lawn is not only the =
latest area to lose sun in the evening but the earliest to receive full =
sun in the morning, I went about 10:00 am to check for activity. Where =
there were at least 6 receptacles just 4 days ago there are now none; =
just a scatter of difficult to spot headless scapes.=20
As a pure guess of what might be involved, these dry receptacles =
often have brushes of involucral bracts hanging downward and sometimes =
these are in contact with the top of the scape. These brushes of dead =
bracts will tend to hold water and, consistent with the shedding of =
heads, may foster development of decay just below the receptacle which =
is followed by release of liquids that are attractive to some small =
bees.
In future I will avoid mowing any of this patch but now understand =
why Hieracium has persisted here; maximum insolation on sandy soil. And =
why some cat apparently likes to lie there early in the summer.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "David & Alison Webster" <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: <NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 7:33 PM
Subject: Bee behavior
> Dear All, Aug 12, 2014
> I took a brief walk around the 'lawn' at 6:30 pm and noticed =
something=20
> that I have never seen before.
>=20
> There were 4-5 small bees (est. 5 mm long), at any one time, =
perched on=20
> or clinging to the bare receptacle (measured ~3 mm diameter & =
hemispheric)=20
> of a small Devil's Paintbrush (Hieracium pilocella) or clinging to =
another=20
> bee. Some bees left the huddle and others joined it at the rate of =
~1-2 per=20
> minute.
>=20
> This receptacle was in sunshine but so were many other available =
vacant=20
> receptacles and perches of other kinds which would suggest that other =
bees,=20
> not the receptacle, was the attractive force. I could not see any =
copulation=20
> but perhaps some bees that breed outside of the hive do this hurredly.
>=20
> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville=20
> END OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
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<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.23588">
<STYLE></STYLE>
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<BODY>
<DIV>
<DIV>Dear All & especially those who know bees, Aug 9, =
2015</DIV>
<DIV> Last evening I noticed small bees (6-7 mm=20
long) clustered, usually abdomen up, on <EM>Hieracium =
pilosella</EM>=20
receptacles. Having seen this last year (pasted below) I took a sample; =
caught 5=20
of 6 that were perched on one receptacle (my number A1242). And a few =
minutes=20
previously I caught one; also on a H. pilosella receptacle.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> All six are male !!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Using the key in Packer et al. 2007 I arrive at=20
<EM>Sphecodes </EM>and In Discoverlife end in a cluster of four species=20
(carolinus, fattigi, galerus & solonis) none of which are known in =
NS so I=20
have likely taken wrong branches.</DIV>
<DIV> The markings are fairly distinctive so may ring =
a=20
bell--</DIV>
<DIV>Background color black sometimes obscured by white hair and most =
hair is=20
white.</DIV>
<DIV> Proximal outer corner of all tibia has=20
an ivory patch; tiny, larger and largest on pro- meso- and =
metatibium=20
respectively.</DIV>
<DIV> 1st segment of meso and metatarsus is pale =
yellow to=20
almost white and the terminal half of the 5th segment of all tarsi is=20
amber.</DIV>
<DIV> Labrum large, ivory with 5-6 black dots near =
lower=20
margin. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>yt, DW</DIV>
<DIV>START OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\</DIV>
<DIV>Hi Again, =20
=
Aug=20
16, 2014</DIV>
<DIV> The following evening (i.e. Aug 13 as I recall) =
I=20
checked this patch and, approaching too rapidly, disturbed a large =
cluster of=20
5-6 bees who took off in different directions from the receptacle. Over =
the next=20
several minutes several bees landed alone on as many receptacles, =
suggesting=20
(contrary to previous indications) that something about =
the=20
receptacle is attractive. One bee that was close enough for me to see =
clearly,=20
without my moving, was upside down but I was not well =
positioned=20
to see possible tongue movement.</DIV>
<DIV> Having realized this morning that this patch of =
lawn is=20
not only the latest area to lose sun in the evening but the earliest to =
receive=20
full sun in the morning, I went about 10:00 am to check for =
activity. Where=20
there were at least 6 receptacles just 4 days ago there are now none; =
just a=20
scatter of difficult to spot headless scapes. </DIV>
<DIV> As a pure guess of what might be involved, =
these=20
dry receptacles often have brushes of involucral bracts hanging =
downward=20
and sometimes these are in contact with the top of the scape. These =
brushes of=20
dead bracts will tend to hold water and, consistent with the =
shedding of=20
heads, may foster development of decay just below the receptacle which =
is=20
followed by release of liquids that are attractive to some small=20
bees.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> In future I will avoid mowing any of this patch =
but=20
now understand why Hieracium has persisted here; maximum insolation =
on=20
sandy soil. And why some cat apparently likes to lie there early in the=20
summer.</DIV>
<DIV>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message -----=20
<DIV>From: "David & Alison Webster" <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">dwebster@glinx.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>To: <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca</A>></=
DIV>
<DIV>Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 7:33 PM</DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Bee behavior</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>> Dear=20
All, &nb=
sp; &nbs=
p; =20
Aug 12, 2014<BR>> I took a brief walk around the =
'lawn' at=20
6:30 pm and noticed something <BR>> that I have never seen =
before.<BR>>=20
<BR>> There were 4-5 small bees (est. 5 mm long), =
at any=20
one time, perched on <BR>> or clinging to the bare receptacle =
(measured ~3 mm=20
diameter & hemispheric) <BR>> of a small Devil's Paintbrush =
(Hieracium=20
pilocella) or clinging to another <BR>> bee. Some bees left the =
huddle and=20
others joined it at the rate of ~1-2 per <BR>> minute.<BR>>=20
<BR>> This receptacle was in sunshine but so were =
many=20
other available vacant <BR>> receptacles and perches of other kinds =
which=20
would suggest that other bees, <BR>> not the receptacle, was the =
attractive=20
force. I could not see any copulation <BR>> but perhaps some bees =
that breed=20
outside of the hive do this hurredly.<BR>> <BR>> Yt, Dave Webster, =
Kentville <BR>> END OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\</DIV></BODY></HTML>
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