A DATA BASE FOR FARMED SOLITARY BEES AND WASPS:

A PRELIMINARY NOTICEPeter E. Hallett

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto.

Also 144 Hendon Avenue, Toronto, M2M 1A7. peter.hallett@utoronto.ca

One of the pair of replicate stands (at 1 of 3 field sites)

Boxes with stacks of nest blocks

Biodiversity…..

….and lack of it.

Bee blocking its own species

Bee blockades & destroys wasp

Scope of the project• Start date 1997-2000 depending on field site.• 3 field sites.• 2 replicate stands of 3 hives each per site • 4000 cavities offered for nesting per year.• Upto 6000 computable and translatable records per

annual generation.• Photographs. •Documentation. •Ancilliary studies.• Small museum collection of hosts and parasitoids.• Unused equipment for use at Jokers Hill, UoT.• Livestock with records available for jump-starts of

field projects.

Progressive elaborations in recording and

the associated conceptual projects • I. Censused population dynamics

1997-2000, and onwards.

• II. Spatial distributions of nests2001-3, and onwards.

• III. Key factors in space and time (critical stages, causes of death) 2004 onwards.

• IV. Effects of species-neutral harvesting and selective culls on production and biodiversity. New.

I. Censused population dynamics 1997-2000, and onwards.

For each host and parasitoid species (or species group), and field site:

• Count of overwintering cocoons

• Count of culls

II. Spatial distributions of nests2001-3, and onwards

For each and every potential nest site, each year:

• Physical aspects: position & bore width, etc.• Taxon of each nest• Plus some ancilliary data including

count of overwintering immatures,

stage of nest death,

chrysidid and bombyliid parasitoids.

III. Key factors in space and time (critical stages, causes of death) 2004 onwards

For each and every potential nest site, each year:

• physical aspects: position & bore width, etc.• species for each nest.• counts at each of 6 survival stages.• losses to parasitoids, pests, pathogens, early

emergence, nest competition, unknown causes.

• dates of nesting behaviours (2005-).

A short record]mpA_wlm.ns060711&3-3%0:#

A new generation nest of Megachile pugnata

was identified by its characteristic appearance. The nest was found stoppered on 2006.07.11.

The three provisioned and sealed cells failed to develop later instar larvae, and the nest was scraped clean by me.

There was no other nest in the bore that year.

Sibling mating in unwintered Potter Wasps

Unobserved & so not in the records • Matings: females per male, or males per female.• Nests & eggs per female.• Genetics.• Finer splits of early causes of death.• #s of the sexes emerging.• #s of females immigrating or emigrating

between stands, or between stand and environment.