Species distribution, microbial communities, and gut contents of Megachilidae: Megachile in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR)

Megachilidae bees pollinate crops such as alfalfa and almonds and plants found in wild landscapes. Megachilids are threatened by competition from non-native pollinators and other environmental factors. Although Megachilidae are important pollinators in the United States, there is still much to learn about the health and functionality of these bees. The species distribution and composition of the gut microbiome in megachilid bees are not well known for the Northern Great Plains. My research seeks to answer the questions: what megachilid species are in the Northern Great Plains, where are they, and what symbionts are in their gut microbiomes? I will extract DNA from the bees that I collect to identify species and their gut microbes. I have 72 Megachilidae specimens from 2021 & 2022, with 10 species currently identified. I anticipate that microbial communities will be similar within species but will vary slightly across the localities and the gut microbiomes will differ between male and female solitary bees, because of their divergent feeding habits. The documentation of solitary bee locations and DNA extraction can teach us about solitary bees' feeding habits, which may aid in conservation efforts.