Bee hotel

Heriades truncorum (Ridge-saddled carpenter bee)♀︎♂︎

Last update: 19 March 2021


Common

LOCATION: Krimpen aan den IJssel, garden

OBSERVATION:
2019-VIII-272019-VI-222016-VI-242016-VI-092016-V-27


The  Ridge-saddled carpenter bee1 is omni-present on the hotels and nests on all section with a clear preference for section 2.

The males of this mall bee roam the in the vicinity and inspect the entrances to the bore holes looking for females.

Ridge-saddled Carpenter bee ♂︎
(Heriades truncorum)

 

Ridge-saddled Carpenter bee ♂︎
(Heriades truncorum)

 

Ridge-saddled Carpenter bee ♂︎
(Heriades truncorum)

The females are busy filling up the nests and are interrupted every now and then by a pushy male….

Ridge-saddled Carpenter bee ♂︎
(Heriades truncorum)

 

Ridge-saddled Carpenter bee ♂︎ (up) en ♀︎ (down)
(Heriades truncorum)

A close-up of the nest cover of the Ridge-saddled carpenter bee, which consists of resin with small stones pieces and other materials which makes it harder for Ichneumon wasps to pentrate the seal2.

Nest cover by Ridge-saddled Carpenter bee
(Heriades truncorum)

 

The females re-use the nests of previous seasons and first clean them out completely. With her legs all food rests and rubble are removed and pushed backwards out of the nest.

Ridge-saddled carpenter bee ♀︎ (Heriades truncorum)

There are many Ridge-saddled carpenter bees in the hotels and every now and then mistakes seem to happen where a female enters the wrong nest. Sometimes even arguments seem to occur and some conflicts seem to result in a competing female cleaning out an existing nest, like in the picture below.

Ridge-saddled carpenter bee (Heriades truncorum), new nest is cleaned out by a competing female

References

1 Peeters, T.M.J., H. Nieuwenhuijsen, J. Smit, F. van der Meer, I.P. Raemakers, W.R.B. Heitmans, C. van Achterberg, M. Kwak, A.J. Loonstra, J. de Rond, M. Roos & M. Reemer 2012. De Nederlands bijen (Hymennoptera: Apidae s.l.). - Natuur van Nederland 11, Naturalis Biodiversity Center & European Invertebrate Survey - Nederland, Leiden.

2 Breugel, P. van 2014. Gasten van bijenhotels. – EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten en andere ongewervelden & Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden., pag: 246

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