Behavior of blue banded bees, Amegilla zonata L. (Apidae: Hymenoptera)

Abstract

Male bees and female bees are floral visitors and collect floral rewards. Flight activity of female bee begins just before dawn and continues upto dusk. They collect nectar or pollen from 21 crop plants and 12 weeds. Among the various plant families Fabaceae, Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae are predominantly preferred and foraged. They are attracted mainly to yellow coloured flowers. Female bee guards the nest by remaining within the nest shaft. Most of the sleeping clusters are intraspecific and male biased and rarely sex mixed. Males take rest during dusk either singly or in a cluster on the terminal end of the dried weeds by grasping the stem firmly with their mandibles and fall asleep. Interspecific sleeping clusters are also found occasionally which involved cuckoo bees (Thyreus sp.) and leaf cutter bees (Megachile sp.). When both the sexes are brought together and confined in enclosures forced mating can occur.