Abstract: 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.
