Aspects of the reproductive biology of the European wool-carder bee, Anthidium manicatum (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), with a focus on nest site selection

The European wool-carder bee, Anthidium manicatum (L.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), is a Palearctic megachilid bee species best known for its resource defense polygynous mating system, its remarkably aggressive males, and its recent range expansion into North America, South America, and New Zealand. This study, conducted during the summers of 2009 and 2010, examines further aspects of A. manicatum's reproductive biology, with a particular focus on female nest site selection.;Using a captive population of bees collected at field sites in Brooklyn, New York, USA, and near Boston, Massachusetts, USA, I demonstrate: (i) that females overwhelmingly prefer to initiate nests in high areas; (ii) that significant size differences exist between geographically distinct non-native populations; (iii) that visual cues may be necessary and sufficient for males assessing territorial challenges; (iv) that females are capable of initiating multiple nests in parallel, and (v) that females can appropriate in-progress nests abandoned by conspecifics. This study also highlights advances in the methods used to house experimental populations of A. manicatum, and briefly explores the species' potential as a model system for behavioral ecological research.