Monthly Meeting: Native Bees

Speaker: Dr. Susan Dudley, Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University

Hamilton is a diversity hotspot for many types of organisms. In my lab, we have found that local bee communities are also surprisingly diverse. What are the sources of that diversity? The variation in open field plant communities contributes to our local bee diversity. So does the local habitat diversity. Though bees are predominantly animals of open areas, other habitat types such as wetlands, forests, and transition areas have their own communities. Moreover, bees may use multiple habitats over the seasons, with that use specific to the species and even the sex of the bees. Non-native organisms from honeybees to snails are potential threats to local bee diversity, though in surprising ways. In particular, a native bee is using non-native grove snail shells to nest in.