Nests of Augochlora (A.) esox in Bromeliads, a Previously Unknown Site for Sweat Bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Abstract

Abstract Five nests of Augochlora (Augochlora) esox (Vachal, 1911) were detected in the rosettes of bromeliads (Aechmaea nudicaulis and A. lindenii) on the island of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Two of the nests were constructed after manipulation of bromeliads as trap nests. Cells were built in the central funnel filled with moist black humus in a scattered way without a detectable pattern. One founding female and all brood stages from eggs to pupae as well as male and female imagines were found in the nests which contained between 3–16 cells each. The uppermost cells contained the youngest larvae whereas pupae and young imagines were found at the bottoms of the nests. Pollen carried by the provisioning female and present in provisions of two nests originated from 18 plant species, in particular Asteraceae and Melastomataceae. Nest architecture is compared to that of congeners, and the use of bromeliads as nest sites for bees is discussed.