Crop-associated

Guides

• Peponapis pruinosa

  eastern cucurbit bee, squash bee, hoary squash bee

  Peponapis pruinosa is a solitary ground-nesting bee specialized on cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, and gourds). It is an oligolege, collecting pollen exclusively from Cucurbita species. The species expanded its range dramatically following human cultivation of squash throughout North America. It is an effective pollinator of cultivated cucurbits and often completes its entire life cycle within agricultural fields.

  ground-nestingoligolecticagricultural-pollinatorcucurbit-specialistsolitary-beenative-beecrop-associated