A preliminary study of the soil texture of rose mallow bee Ptilothrix bombiformis (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) nests in a developed landscape

The majority of bees nest underground in soil, but for most species, specific information about the soil texture is lacking. As bees decline globally from a broad suite of factors including habitat loss from urbanization and development, understanding the factors affecting nest site selection may be critically important for conservation (Payne et al., 2024). In this study, soil texture at a large rose mallow bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis) nest aggregation in a developed landscape in East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA was investigated through laboratory analysis of bee excavated soil pellets from nests and soil pits. The soil at the nest site is sandy loam with sand fractions predominately fine sand and medium sand.