Bee Biology

Behold, a "pollen wasp" (Masarinae), superficially yellow jacket-like, but with an identity problem. Almost all wasps are flesh-eaters, but masarines are more like Ferdinand the Bull, who was more interested in smelling flowers than in goring matadors. Pollen wasps forsake stinging, eating, and feeding other insects to their offspring, for plying flowers. However, they differ from Ferdinand in harvesting pollen and nectar rather than simply inhaling sweet odors.

Loading metrics Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article Michelle A. Taylor , Alastair W. Robertson, Patrick J. Biggs, Kate K. Richards, Daniel F. Jones, Shanthi G. Parkar Michelle A. Taylor, Alastair W. Robertson, Patrick J. Biggs, Kate K. Richards, Daniel F. Jones, Shanthi G. Parkar Published: December 4, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225845 Figures Abstract Bacteria within the digestive tract of adult honey bees are likely to play a key role in the digestion of sugar-rich foods.

Abstract In recent years restoration project efforts in arid grasslands of the Pacific Northwest have increased; however, little is known about the bee communities in these areas or how restoration affects them. Native bees provide an essential ecosystem service through pollination of crops and native plants and understanding their response to restoration is a high priority.