Nomia melanderi

Medium-sized solitary bee with typical halictid morphology. Females construct individual underground cells in dense nesting aggregations. Distinguished from other Nomia species by its specific association with alkaline soils and western North American distribution. Males and females can be differentiated by size dimorphism, with body size negatively correlated with aggression levels in behavioral interactions.

Ground-nesting in moist, alkaline soils of arid valleys and basins. Requires specific soil conditions with appropriate hydraulic conductivity and mineral salt composition for successful nest construction. Nests occur in dense aggregations. Some isolated populations utilize hot spring areas in cold climates.

Western United States, including desert and semi-arid desert basins. Native to deserts and semi-arid regions of western North America. Also recorded from Australia (introduced or present).

Nests during midsummer in western United States. Adult activity period coincides with alfalfa bloom period in managed agricultural settings.

Polylectic pollen collector. Primary wild floral hosts poorly known or non-native. In agricultural settings, heavily utilizes alfalfa (Medicago sativa) as pollen and nectar source.

Females construct individual underground cells provisioned with pollen mass before egg laying. Eggs laid on pollen provision. Larvae develop within cells feeding on stored pollen. Development occurs entirely within underground nest cells.

Nests in dense aggregations in ground. Females exhibit specific cell construction and provisioning behaviors. Aggression levels modulated by body size and social context: smaller individuals show increased aggression, particularly in mixed-size pairings. Exhibits defensive behaviors against pathogens and predators. Males and females both capable of flight with foraging range extending into neighboring crop areas.

Efficient native pollinator, particularly of alfalfa seed crops. Second most valuable managed solitary bee for United States agriculture. Contributes to pollination services in both agricultural and natural ecosystems through polylectic foraging habits.

Intensively managed for commercial alfalfa pollination, representing the only successfully managed ground-nesting bee species worldwide. Subject of extensive research on solitary bee biology, pollinator management, and comparative genomics for understanding evolution of social behavior. Management requires specialized knowledge of soil hydrology and mineral composition.

• solitary bee
• ground-nesting
• pollinator
• alfalfa
• agricultural management
• alkaline soil
• halictidae
• western united states
• commercial pollination
• nesting aggregation
• body size aggression
• genomic model

• BugGuide
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• The Amazing Bee-Parasite Research of Leslie Saul-Gershenz | Bug Squad
• Meadow Grasshopper
• Grasshoppers of Colorado
• Field Guide Selected References
• Hayden Grasshopper
• Grasshoppers of Colorado
• Behavior of the Alkali Bee, Nomia melanderi, within the Nest (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)
• Small Body Size Is Associated with Increased Aggression in the Solitary Sweat Bee Nomia melanderi (Hymenoptera, Halictidae)
• The Extraordinary Alkali Bee, Nomia melanderi (Halictidae), the World's Only Intensively Managed Ground-Nesting Bee
• Draft Genome Assembly and Population Genetics of an Agricultural Pollinator, the Solitary Alkali Bee (Halictidae: Nomia melanderi )
• Draft genome assembly and population genetics of an agricultural pollinator, the solitary alkali bee (Halictidae: Nomia melanderi )