Taiwanese Journal of Entomological Studies

1-5

Authors: CHENG-YU CHEN, YU-HAN WU, HUNG-PO CHEN

More than 80% of bees and wasps are not eusocial insects; they are so-called solitary bees. Some of them adopt pre-existing cavities to build nests, which are called trap-nesting bees/wasps. Nowadays, nesting resources are becoming less available due to urbanization, making it harder for them to survive. The Nature Conservation Association of National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan used ecological survey methods called nest traps and cooperated with service courses to conduct surveys on the campus. Our aim was to investigate the bionomics of solitary bees at the university, conserve their populations, and promote environmental education. At the beginning, the university rejected the plan because of the fear of bees/wasps expressed by professors and students. After much communication, we succeeded in setting up 14 solitary bee hotels on the campus. Our results show that the solitary bee hotels' location must be kept away from the rain and the soil surface. Additionally, the main reproduction period is from July to October. This information will help us optimize future plans to further conserve trap-nesting bees/wasps on the university campus.