Tall trees and exotic herbs identified in pollen and nest materials of seven cavity-nesting solitary bee species in Australia

R. Wilson; Alexander Keller; Sara Leonhardt; T J Smith; Christopher J Burwell; Chris Fuller; Alison Shapcott; Benjamin Kaluza; Helen Wallace

doi:10.3389/frbee.2026.1744662

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Tall trees and exotic herbs identified in pollen and nest materials of seven cavity-nesting solitary bee species in Australia

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Tall trees and exotic herbs identified in pollen and nest materials of seven cavity-nesting solitary bee species in Australia

R. Wilson, Alexander Keller, Sara Leonhardt, T J Smith, Christopher J Burwell, Chris Fuller, Alison Shapcott, Benjamin Kaluza and Helen Wallace

Frontiers in Bee Science, Vol.4, pp.1-12

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frbee.2026.1744662

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Abstract

amplicon sequencing

bee hotels

DNA metabarcoding

Hylaeus

Hyleoides

Megachile

solitary bees

trap nests

Introduction: Solitary bees are important pollinators yet vulnerable to decline in resource-poor landscapes. Resources for solitary bees may be supplemented by land managers through targeted plantings, however, little is known about the specific plants used by different species. This study identified plants used by seven cavity-nesting solitary bee species in natural and agricultural landscapes over two years by DNA metabarcoding of pollen bread, larvae, frass and nest materials.Methods: We sequenced samples from the bee species: Megachile mystacaena (23 nests), Megachile mackayensis (2), Megachile simplex (11), Megachile deanii (3), Hylaeus ruficeps (1), Hylaeus nubilosus (6) and Hyleoides concinna (3). We identified 118 plant taxa from brood provisions (or larvae and frass proxies) and nest materials, however, just 20 taxa accounted for more than 70% of all resources used. Importantly, trees were the most frequently provisioned pollen source for all bees (48 taxa).Results: Introduced plants were used by all bee species studied, even in natural landscapes. Native plants, however, still accounted for more than 50% of relative read abundance for six of seven bee species. Plants identified in nest materials were mostly herbaceous species for leafcutter bees, vines and trees for cellophane bees and parasitic plants (Santalales, “mistletoes”) for resin bees.Discussion: Agri-environment schemes to support pollinators may be benefit from the inclusion of these taxa or plants with similar characteristics, particularly flowering trees.

Details

Title: Tall trees and exotic herbs identified in pollen and nest materials of seven cavity-nesting solitary bee species in Australia
Authors: R. Wilson - Griffith University
Alexander Keller - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Sara Leonhardt - Technical University of Munich
T J Smith - The University of Queensland
Christopher J Burwell - Queensland Museum
Chris Fuller - Kin Kin Native Bees
Alison Shapcott - University of the Sunshine Coast
Benjamin Kaluza - Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis
Helen Wallace (Corresponding Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Frontiers in Bee Science, Vol.4, pp.1-12
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.3389/frbee.2026.1744662
ISSN: 2813-5911
Copyright note: © 2026 Wilson, Keller, Leonhardt, Smith, Burwell, Fuller, Shapcott, Kaluza and Wallace. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Data Availability: The data presented are deposited in the Zenodo respository, accession number 10.5281/zenodo.18932434.
Grant note: Genecology Research Centre, the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Friends of the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Gardens.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991216249602621
Output Type: Journal article

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