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1 December 2017 Bees of Maine, with a State Species Checklist
Alison C. Dibble, Francis A. Drummond, Constance Stubbs, Michael Veit, John S. Ascher
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Abstract

We present a new county checklist developed from bee research in Maine since the 1800s. The list contains 278 bee species in 37 genera and 6 families, of which all but 8 are native, with ≥50 taxa each in Andrena and Lasioglossum. Data for 16 counties from publications, museum collections, and recent surveys varied in number of species from 8 (Androscoggin) to 197 (Hancock). Research since 1930 on Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry) led to many records. Twenty-one species are considered unusual, including 3 first recorded in 2016: Epeoloides pilosulus, Melitta melittoides, and Holcopasites calliopsidis. Maine records provide evidence of declines in Bombus affinis, decline in B. terricola followed by partial recovery, and increase in B. impatiens. Crops that should be studied regarding associated bees are Malus pumila (Apple), Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry), Vaccinium macrocarpon (American Cranberry), and Curcurbitaceae (cucurbits). Montane, sandy, and island habitats were identified as priorities for future sampling. We discuss records of bee species from New England relevant to understanding the Maine fauna, bee diversity, changes in abundance, cleptoparasitism, pesticide impacts, habitat requirements, and climate change.

Alison C. Dibble, Francis A. Drummond, Constance Stubbs, Michael Veit, and John S. Ascher "Bees of Maine, with a State Species Checklist," Northeastern Naturalist 24(m15), 1-48, (1 December 2017). https://doi.org/10.1656/045.024.m1503
Published: 1 December 2017
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