ARS | Publication request: THE NATIVE BEES OF GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK: A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

Submitted to: Proceedings of Guadalupe Mountains Symposium
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 1, 2004
Publication Date: November 1, 2004
Citation: Griswold, T.L. 2004. The native bees of Guadalupe Mountains National Park: a preliminary assessment. Proceedings of Guadalupe Mountains Symposium 1998. Armstrong and KellerLynn, editors. National Park Service, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX. p.105-110.

Interpretive Summary: The bee pollinators of Guadalupe Mountains National Park are poorly known. A preliminary inventory showws that the park is home to a diverse array of pollinators. More bee genera are found in the park than in all of New England. A total of 145 species were found; a conservative estimate would be a fauna of twice as many species. Most bee species in the park are solitary, only a few are social. There are some parasitic bees. Many species are short-lived as adults and were found in only one month of the year.

Technical Abstract: A preliminary inventory of the bees of Guadalupe Mountains National Park yielded 145 species in 39 genera. Thirteen species are undescribed; one species is the first U.S. record of a Dufourea previously known only from central Mexico. As an indication of the preliminary nature of this study, thirty bee genera not recorded should be found in the park based on their known distribution. Bee species are highly seasonal; most were encountered in only one month.