Ecology and Natural History of Tropical Bees [Paperback]

The full fascinating natural histories and the ecology of the numerous varieties of tropical bees is presented in this highly-acclaimed volume, first published in 1989.Coverage of prominent themes in the ecology, natural history, and evolution of bees includes pollinating behavior, natural enemies, reproduction, social behavior, and maintenance of the diversity of tropical communities.Coverage of prominent themes in the ecology, natural history, and evolution of bees includes pollinating behavior, natural enemies, reproduction, social behavior, and maintenance of the diversity of tropical communities.Describes the prominent themes in the ecology, natural history, and evolution of bees, and includes discussions on pollinating behavior, natural enemies, reproduction, social behavior, and maintenance of the diversity of tropical communities. This book is the first to draw together these themes, and covers topics as varied as the evolution of obligate sociality and the reproductive diversity of tropical flowering plants. There are many new examples from the author's research on pollination ecology, mimicry, mutualism, coevolution, and competition.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. ...an important book, not only for the bee biologists, but for anyone interested in studying and conserving the intricate world of tropical ecosystems. Science This book is not a mere uncritical regurgitation of abstracts of other's research,lƒ>