In Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica there are 13 species of Centris (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of which six are referred to as lodger or cavity-nesting bees. Here we describe nests of these six lodger bees, five of which have been found to nest in holes bored into wooden stick “trap nests”. Although the nests of three of these five have been described from Brazil (C. bicornuta, C. analis and C. vittata), the nests of these same species from Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica have some differences that may be due to resource availability. We also describe nests of two additional species of lodger bees (C. nitida and C. trigonoides) from trap nests in Guanacaste. In addition, one nest is described of the remaining lodger bee in Guanacaste (C. lutea) that was fortuitously discovered. We also provide information to help identify nests of each species of lodger Centris from Guanacaste after nests are complete and sometimes after the mature bees have emerged and dispersed.
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Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
Vol. 83 • No. 1
January 2010
Vol. 83 • No. 1
January 2010