Ecology and natural history of tropical bees - paper (Cambridge tropical biology series) Cambridge Tropical Biology Series Series

Humans have been fascinated by bees for centuries. Bees display a wide spectrum of behaviours and ecological roles that have provided biologists with a vast amount of material for study. Among the types observed are both social and solitary bees, those that either pollinate or destroy flowers, and those that display traits allowing them to survive underwater. Others fly mainly at night, and some build their nests either in the ground or in the tallest rain forest trees. This highly acclaimed book summarises and interprets research from around the world on tropical bee diversity and draws together major themes in ecology, natural history and evolution. The numerous photographs and line illustrations, and the large reference section, qualify this book as a field guide and reference for workers in tropical and temperate research. The fascinating ecology and natural history of these bees will also provide absorbing reading for other ecologists and naturalists. This book was first published in 1989.

Preface, Acknowledgments, Part I. Introduction: 1. Approaches to tropical bee biology, 2. Diversity of tropical bees, Part II. Foraging and Pollination: 3. Resources gathered by bees, 4. Mechanisms of resource collection, 5. Foraging and flight activity, 6. Pollination ecology, Part III. Nesting and Reproduction Biology: 7. Bee nests, 8. Nest predators, associates and defense, 9. Mating and brood production, Part IV. Community Ecology: 10. Seasonality, abundance and flower preference, 11. Composition of bee assemblages, 12. Roles of bees in communities, References, Index, Appendices.