Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Nesting Biology of Xylocopa xinjiangensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopinae).

Xylocopa, an important genus in Hymenoptera: Apidae, is of great significance in research on the early stages of insect social evolution. Most species in this genus burrow into wooden structures. Only the Proxylocopa subgenus nests in the soil. Here, we report the nesting behavior of Xylocopa xinjiangensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopinae), which is distributed only in Western China. During July 2013 and August 2016, we observed the nest architecture and nest building process of X. xinjiangensis. X. xinjiangensis is solitary and nests in the soil walls of gullies, mounds, and cliffs in the Manas area, Xinjiang, multiplying at the rate of one generation a year. Newly emerged females eclose in the fall and build wintering nests first. The next spring, outbound wintering females build breeding nests, although a few wintering females may use the breeding nests built by their mothers. The location and structure of X. xinjiangensis wintering nests are different from those of the breeding nests. The wintering nest is simple in structure, consisting of a tunnel leading perpendicularly from the surface to the interior. The structure of the breeding nest may be either a branching tunnel or a straight-chain tunnel. The first cell that X. xinjiangensis builds in the breeding nest is closest to the entrance, which is a significant difference from the behavior of carpenter bees that construct nests in wood structures. The results of this study lay the foundation for the utilization and protection of X. xinjiangensis resources and facilitate a better understanding of the evolution of the Xylocopa population.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app