Nesting, Sex Ratio and Natural Enemies of the Giant Resin Bee in Relation to Native Species in Europe.

ABSTRACT: Megachile sculpturalis (Smith, 1853) is the first exotic bee species in Europe. Its remarkably fast expansion across this continent is leading to a growing concern on the extent of negative impacts to the native fauna. To evaluate the interactions of exotic bees with local wild bees, we set up trap nests for above-ground nesting bees on a semi-urban area of north-western Italy. We aimed to investigate the interaction in artificial traps between the exotic and native wild bees and to assess offspring traits accounting for exotic bee fitness: progeny sex ratio and incidence of natural enemies. We found that the tunnels occupied by exotic bees were already cohabited by O. cornuta, and thus the cells of later nesting alien bees may block the native bee emergence for the next year

SUBMITTER: Diaz SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8230627 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature