Svastra obliqua

(Say, 1837)

sunflower bee

Svastra obliqua is a long-horned in the , commonly known as the sunflower bee. It is to Central America and North America, with three recognized . The shows strong floral fidelity to sunflowers (Helianthus) and other members of the Asteraceae family, though it will collect pollen from various aster family plants. Males exhibit distinctive sleeping , clustering on flowers or stems at night while females nest in underground burrows.

Svastra obliqua Male by The Packer Lab. Used under a Attribution license.Svastra obliqua, f, side, md, kent county 2014-07-22-09.46.48 ZS PMax by Sam Droege. Used under a Public domain license.Svastra obliqua, m, face, Dorchester Co 2015-12-01-18.04 (24942575406) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Svastra obliqua: /ˈsvaːstra oˈbliːkwa/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Distribution

Central America and North America.

Diet

Collects pollen primarily from sunflowers (Helianthus) and other members of the Asteraceae (aster ). Has been observed foraging on sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

Life Cycle

Females nest in the ground, creating burrows with round entrance holes approximately the diameter of a pencil or slightly smaller, sometimes with small of dirt resembling mini-volcanoes. Males do not participate in nesting.

Behavior

Males sleep in on flowers or stems at night, typically beginning to cluster around sunset and remaining until morning. These sleeping aggregations are usually single- clusters based on suitable perches rather than proximity to female nests, though they likely occur within 100 yards of nesting females. Males are territorial and will dive-bomb other to defend floral resources for females. Females are solitary ground-nesters, each digging her own burrow; nests may be widely separated or clustered depending on local conditions.

Ecological Role

of sunflowers and other Asteraceae. Contributes to of plants and agricultural .

Human Relevance

Important for sunflower and other agricultural and garden plants. Subject of concern as part of broader native diversity; contributes to services valued at billions of dollars globally.

Similar Taxa

  • Melissodes agilisAlso a long-horned with similar male sleeping on flowers; males of both may be found sleeping on the same species. Distinguished by subtle morphological differences and floral preferences.
  • Melissodes robustiorSimilar size and ; males also sleep on flowers. Identification requires examination of morphological details.

Tags

Sources and further reading