Understanding the Foraging Behavior of Sweat Bees, Bumble Bees, and Honey Bees on Centipedegrass for Conservation Strategies

Abstract Bees, primarily including Lasioglossum spp. (sweat bees), Bombus spp. (bumble bees), and Apis mellifera (honey bees), have been recently reported to forage on centipedegrass spikes. However, the specific interactions between these different bee groups and the spikes during foraging have not been fully understood. This information is critical for optimizing pollination services and guiding conservation efforts of bees in managed landscapes. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the foraging behaviors of bee species on centipedegrass spikes. A total of 181 video recordings collected during the summer of 2022 and 2023 were examined, focusing on behaviors such as crawling, clinging, dangling, dangling tongue protrusion, and wing buzzing. Bumble bees were observed to exhibit more frequent crawling behavior across spikes compared to honey bees and Lasioglossum . Clinging behavior, where bees held onto spikes with their legs to collect pollen, was more commonly observed in both bumble bees and honey bees than in Lasioglossum . Lasioglossum dangled on the spikes while foraging, but this behavior was not observed in other bee species. Bumble bees were the only group to exhibit tongue protrusion and wing buzzing than the other bee groups. Lasioglossum spent more time on individual inflorescences and visited fewer spikes than Apis mellifera and Bombus . This suggests that various bee species exhibit unique or multiple behaviors when foraging on centipedegrass spikes and collecting pollen. Implications of these foraging behaviors on conservation strategies and pollination are discussed.