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Article

The Bee Communities of Young Living Lavender Farm, Mona, Utah, USA

by
Joseph S. Wilson
1,*,
Jacob G. Young
2 and
Lindsey Topham Wilson
3
1
Department of Biology, Utah State University—Tooele, Tooele, UT 84074, USA
2
D. Gary Young Research Institute, Lehi, UT 840432, USA
3
Native Pollinator Project, Stansbury Park, UT 84074, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diversity 2024, 16(2), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020119
Submission received: 10 January 2024 / Revised: 1 February 2024 / Accepted: 7 February 2024 / Published: 13 February 2024

Abstract

:
It is now widely recognized that bees are among the most important pollinators worldwide, yet the bee faunas of many regions and habitats remain inadequately documented. The Great Basin Desert in North America is thought to host some of the richest bee communities in the world, as indicated by several studies documenting diverse bee faunas in the region’s natural habitats. However, limited attention has been given to the bee communities present on agricultural lands within the Great Basin Desert. Here, we describe a rich bee community housed at the Young Living Lavender Farm in Juab County, Utah, near the eastern edge of the Great Basin Desert. Our survey of bees on this farm identified 68 bee species across 22 genera. This represents 34% of the bee species known from the county, including 34 new county records. Among the numerous flower species cultivated at the farm, we found that lavender supported the richest bee community, with 32 species collected from cultivated lavender fields. While lavender is frequently recommended for homeowners to plant in support of pollinators, our study is among the first to provide a list of bee species that visit lavender in western North America. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that agricultural lands, particularly those implementing pollinator-friendly farming practices, can support rich bee communities in the Great Basin Desert.

1. Introduction

While declines in bee populations have been documented in a variety of species across North America (e.g., [1,2,3,4]), the bee fauna of many ecosystems remains largely unknown. Often, the limited understanding of bee communities poses challenges for land managers attempting to assess the quality and distinctiveness of their bee faunas without a contextual basis from other published reports. Furthermore, documenting bee declines, while important, is challenging in the absence of baseline data.
The Great Basin Desert in western North America is predicted to host some of the highest bee species richness in the world [5], with numerous studies chronicling these diverse bee communities. For example, Wilson et al. [6] documented 146 bee species from 31 genera in a two-year study focusing on sand dune habitat in Dugway Proving Ground (DPG), a military facility spanning roughly 3200 km2 in Tooele County, Utah. Similarly, Bohart and Knowlton [7] reported 132 bee species from 33 genera in their four-year survey of the Curlew Valley (CV), a 600 km2 area spanning the Utah/Idaho border.
While these studies clearly demonstrate the potential for diverse bee communities on arid lands in the Great Basin, there remains a notable gap in faunal research concerning the region’s agricultural lands. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) prevails as the most predominant crop across the West [8,9], yet other small-scale, agriculturally diverse farms exist, which might also harbor diverse bee communities. One such farm is situated on the eastern edge of the Great Basin Desert, adjacent to the Wasatch Mountains in Juab County Utah. The Young Living Lavender Farm and Distillery (YL), established in 1994, is a roughly 680-hectare organic lavender farm (USDA organic certificate number 6001-1266) and events center that also grows 18 other species of aromatic plants. In addition to the crops, which cover about 40 hectares, the YL farm also maintains a 2.5-hectare conservation area that houses nesting raptors and shore birds, as well as a monarch waystation with native milkweed plants.
It is becoming evident that bees, particularly wild bees, can have a mutually beneficial relationship with farms. Several studies have highlighted the substantial role played by wild bees in crop pollination, even in the presence of managed European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) (e.g., [10,11,12,13,14]. Many other studies have emphasized the contribution of gardens and farms in maintaining diverse bee communities, particularly when farm/garden plans incorporate a variety of flowering plants. (e.g., [15,16,17,18]). This recognition, that planting diverse gardens can benefit wild bees, has prompted many to seek lists of plants that support bees in their community. When searching “what flowers should I plant for bees” on the internet, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is frequently recommended, despite being non-native to North America (e.g., [19,20,21]). Although lavender is commonly suggested for pollinator-friendly planting, there is limited knowledge about which bee species visit lavender, particularly in western North America.
A recent study on how pollinators affect lavender essential oil yield and quality documented 12 different bee species visiting their study plot [22]. Of these 12 species, 9 were native bees and 3 were non-native species. The most common visitor was the European Honey Bee, significantly outnumbering other visitors, including multiple species of bumble bee (Bombus spp.) [22]. These findings are in contrast to several studies from Europe (where lavender is native) that found bumble bees as the most abundant pollinator [23,24,25,26].
Our primary goals in this study were to (1) document the bee richness present on the Young Living Lavender Farm, and (2) investigate which bee species visit the farm’s flagship crop, lavender.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Site

The Young Living Lavender Farm and Distillery (YL) is situated in the eastern Great Basin Desert in Juab County Utah (39.872052, −111.846272) (Figure 1). The farm sits on the valley floor (~1493 m) about 4 km west of the base of the Wasatch Mountains. The farm is flanked to the north and the south by agricultural lands, primarily dedicated to the cultivation of alfalfa and wheat. Toward the west, the property is bounded by a seasonal reservoir and an adjoining riparian habitat while to the east, a major interstate highway runs alongside native sagebrush scrubland. Although the primary focus of the YL farm lies in the cultivation of lavender (33 hectares), the farm also features fields of goldenrod (Solidago canadensis: 2.8 hectares), melissa (Melissa officinalis: 2.5 hectares), and yarrow (Achillea millefolium: 2.4 hectares), In addition to these crops, YL farm maintains a demonstration garden with smaller patches (less than 0.15 hectares) of floral crops including Salvia sclarea, Salvia officinalis, Hyssopus officinalis, Lycium sp., Artemisia dracunculoides, Tanacetum anuum, Chamomilla nobile, Matricaria recutita, Satureja montana, Gaillardia aristata, Thymus vulgaris, Valeriana officinalis, Nepeta cataria, Angelica archangelica, Vitex agnus-castus and Ruta graveolens. The western boundary of the farm, which abuts the seasonal reservoir, has been set aside as a conservation area, hosting a variety of wildflowers comprising both non-native and native plant species. Among these are Salix sp., Asclepias speciosa, Sphaeralcea sp., Taraxacum officinale, Potentilla anserina, Melilotus officinalis, Grindelia sp., Lactuca serriola, Hedysarum boreale, Oenothera sp. Helianthus nuttallii, and Asclepias incarnata.
All crops grown on the farm strictly adhered to organic guidelines, prohibiting the use of both pesticides and herbicides. Weed management was carried out manually or through the controlled grazing of sheep. Sheep were purposefully introduced during the growing season as they targeted weeds and grasses, leaving the lavender undisturbed. All fields were bordered by dirt roads, which, based on our observations, provided a habitat for ground-nesting bees.

2.2. Collection Methods

Collections were made from May through October of 2022 using aerial nets to collect bee specimens directly on flowers. To obtain a broad understanding of bee diversity, opportunistic sampling was conducted across YL farm, targeting wild bees from a variety of plants and locations. In total, seven different locations were sampled (Figure 1). Many parts of the farm were not actively sampled (e.g., the northern fields and the southern fields: see Figure 1) because these areas were newly planted and were not actively flowering. Each location was visited every other week from May through October, with weekly visits in June and July, when lavender is more likely to be blooming. All specimens were euthanized, pinned, labeled and recorded in a relational database. Each entry included the specific area of the farm where the specimen was collected, the date of collection, and, if ascertainable, the flower it was visiting at the time of collection. Where possible, bee specimens were identified to species using available taxonomic keys and compared to referential collections for validation. However, if/when species-level identification keys were not available, those specimens were sorted into morpho-species. Sorting specimens to morphospecies can be useful because it allows us to measure species richness, even when precise species identifications are not possible.

2.3. Online Database Bee Data

There is no published bee species list for the state of Utah, or for any of its counties. In order to compare the bee fauna of YL farm to the bee fauna known from Juab County we had to make a county-specific species list based on online, publicly available data. While several online databases of natural history collections exist, we downloaded bee data from the Symbiota Collections of Arthropods Network (https://scan-bugs.org/portal/: accessed 30 January 2023) as it has a user-friendly search and download interface. Also, SCAN contains occurrence records from over 225 North American providers (over 33 million records) including dozens of university arthropod collections, federal institutions and private collections [27].
To create a Juab County bee species list we first downloaded all specimen records for each North American bee family (Andrenidae, Apidae, Megachilidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, and Melittidae) using the “Locality Criteria” search parameters with data filtered to include records from only Juab County Utah. We then combined the individual family-level datasets into one large dataset. Because online datasets often contain some amount of error, some data cleaning is often needed [5]. Duplicate records were removed as well as records identified above the species level (i.e., specimens only identified to family). Data were then uploaded into ArcMap 10.3 and specimen records that were located outside of the Juab County boundaries were removed (occasionally collectors label a specimen as “Juab County” but the Latitude and Longitude coordinates show the locality was actually outside of the county boundaries). We then used this dataset to create our Juab County species list (Appendix A). Because Juab County extends into the Wasatch Mountains, including high-elevation habitats, we created a second dataset excluding bee species only found higher in the mountains (above 1800 m). This provided a list of bee species known from the valleys and foothills of Juab County so we could make comparisons between the bee community found at the farm to the broader bee community from the surrounding area.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Bees of Young Living Lavender Farm

A total of 566 bee specimens were collected from the Young Living Lavender Farm (YL), representing 68 species in 22 genera (Table 1). Bee species diversity was spread among the five most common bee families in North America (Figure 2). Among the species collected at the farm, 34 were new county records (Appendix A). In total, the YL farm housed approximately 34% of the bee species known from Juab County, accounting for the inclusion of the 34 new county records on the species list. This is particularly noteworthy given that the farm covers less than 0.08% of the county’s land area. Excluding bees collected from high elevations, the farm supported nearly 50% of the bees known from the valleys and foothills of Juab County. We acknowledge that this understanding of Juab County bee species richness is likely an underestimate due to limited collecting in the area. Currently, 200 species are documented in the county (Appendix A), and this number will undoubtedly grow with additional collection. Similarly, further sampling at the YL farm is likely to yield additional species. In fact, several studies have shown significant variations in estimates of bee diversity from year to year. [6,28]. For example, collections made in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument found 384 species in the first year of sampling, with an additional 50 species found in the second year. By the end of the 4-year study, a total of 660 species were documented [28].
While our study of bees on the YL farm found fewer species compared to other faunal surveys from the Great Basin (Dugway Proving Ground (DPG): 146 spp.; Curlew Valley (CV): 132 spp.), this discrepancy could be expected given the smaller sampling area both in terms of km2 and habitat. Despite the reduced bee diversity in this study compared to other regional faunal surveys, noteworthy patterns emerge when comparing the bee fauna at the YL farm to both DPG and CV [6,7]. For instance, one of the most species-rich genera found in DPG was Perdita, with 22 species. Only seven Perdita species were found in CV, and none were found at the YL farm. This discrepancy might be attributed in part to the floral specialization of many Perdita species, suggesting their host flowers might not be present at the farm. For example, many Perdita species in the Great Basin specialize on fall blooming composites like rabbit brush (Ericameria spp.) while others specialize on wirelettuce (Stephanomeria spp.) [6], which was not present at the farm. When comparing bumble bee (Bombus) richness, we found five species were present at YL, eight at CV, and only one was found at DPG. Similarly, no Hylaeus were collected at DPG, five species were found in CV, and four at YL. In total, 31 of the species collected at YL (Table 1), nearly half of the farm’s collected species, were not documented in other published faunal surveys of bees in the Great Basin (DPG and CV). While interesting, this is not particularly surprising because bee faunal surveys are generally limited in most habitats, especially in the Great Basin. Furthermore, the current study investigating bee diversity in agricultural lands is markedly different from other published studies, which focused on desert sand dunes and grassland areas, respectively [6,7]. All of the 68 species collected at the YL farm have also been found at other sites in Utah based on searches of online databases like www.discoverlife.org (accessed on 30 January 2023).
Many of the bee species found at YL were not common; in fact, 25 of the species collected at the farm were represented by a single specimen, while 10 other species were only represented by two specimens. Conversely, some species were more abundant, represented by dozens of specimens. The top five most abundant bee species found at the farm (excluding European Honey Bees) were Halictus ligatus (N = 113), Lasioglossum incompletum (N = 75), Melissodes communis (N = 52), Anthophora urbana (N = 30), and Halictus rubicundus (N = 25).
The YL farm hosted a diverse floral community, encompassing various crops and vegetation in the conservation area and along the margins of the fields. In total, bees were collected from 34 different plant species. Some of the plants that supported rich bee communities were crops at the farm, while others were weedy species found in other areas of the property. The plants found to support the most bee species were Lavandula angustifolia (N = 31), Salvia sclarea (N = 13), Gaillardia aristate (N = 12), Taraxacum officinale (N = 11), and Melilotus officinalis (N = 10).
Of the 68 bee species collected at YL farm, 29 were found in the conservation area and 59 species were found across the cultivated farm area. Of these, 40 of the 68 species were only detected on farmland, and 9 were only detected in the conservation area. This could suggest that both the farmlands and the conservation lands play important roles in maintaining the diverse bee community found in the area.

3.2. Bees Visiting Lavender

A total of 149 bee specimens were collected on lavender, representing 32 bee species (Figure 3, Table 2). Excluding the European Honey Bees, which were ubiquitous in all the fields, the five most abundant wild bees were Lasioglossum incompletum (N = 45), Melissodes communis (N = 29), Anthophora urbana (N = 14), Agapostemon angelicus (N = 6), and Halictus ligatus (N = 6). The majority of bees collected on lavender were male specimens (N = 103 male, N = 46 female). This might indicate that lavender serves as an important nectar resource for bees on the farm, rather than a prominent pollen resource. This is further reinforced by the presence of multiple specialist bee species (bees that exclusively collect pollen from a limited number of plant species but visit a variety of plants for nectar) observed visiting lavender, despite it not being their host plant. For example, a male Eucera (Peponapis) pruinosa, a specialist of squash flowers (Cucurbitaceae), and a female Svastra obliqua, a sunflower (Helianthus) specialist, were both collected while visiting lavender. It is well established that both male and female specialist bees will visit a variety of floral hosts for nectar [29]. Therefore, the fact that specialist bees were collected visiting lavender, a floral resource they do not specialize on, is not uncommon, but indicative that lavender is being used for nectar rather than pollen by many wild bees.

4. Conclusions

In addition to providing a bee species list for Juab County, Utah, our analyses clearly demonstrate that agricultural lands in the Great Basin Desert, particularly those like the Young Living Lavender Farm (YL), employing pollinator-friendly farming practices (diversifying crops, avoiding pesticides, setting aside land for conservation, and leaving space like dirt roads and trails for nesting sites) can house diverse pollinator communities. It is probable that additional sampling at YL farm will yield even more bee species, consistent with findings in other faunal surveys (e.g., [28]). Moreover, this study marks the first comprehensive survey of bees visiting lavender. Although lavender is frequently recommended as a beneficial plant for homeowners to “help pollinators,” there have been limited data on the bee species that visit lavender in western North America until now. Our discovery of 31 bee species from 15 genera supports the notion that lavender can indeed sustain a diverse bee community. Studies like this one are vital as they furnish baseline data valuable for comparative faunal analyses and future investigations into bee declines.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.S.W. and L.T.W.; methodology, J.S.W. and L.T.W.; formal analysis, J.S.W. and L.T.W.; investigation, J.S.W., J.G.Y. and L.T.W.; data curation, J.S.W.; writing—original draft preparation, J.S.W., J.G.Y. and L.T.W.; writing—review and editing, J.S.W. and L.T.W.; funding acquisition, J.S.W., J.G.Y. and L.T.W. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by Young Living Essential Oils and Native Pollinator Project.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their assistance with this project: Isaac Wilson, Colby Olds and the D. Gary Young Research Institute. Also, the authors wish to thank Olivia Messinger Carril and Tyler Wilson for reviewing early drafts of this manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Appendix A

Table A1. Bee species list for Juab County, Utah. An * indicates species collected in the current study that were not previously known from the county.
Table A1. Bee species list for Juab County, Utah. An * indicates species collected in the current study that were not previously known from the county.
FamilySpeciesAuthor
AndrenidaeAndrena amphibola(Viereck 1904)
AndrenidaeAndrena angustitarsataViereck 1904
AndrenidaeAndrena arabisRobertson 1897
AndrenidaeAndrena candida *Smith 1879
AndrenidaeAndrena costillensisViereck & Cockerell 1914
AndrenidaeAndrena crataegiRobertson 1893
AndrenidaeAndrena forbesiiRobertson 1891
AndrenidaeAndrena halliiDunning 1898
AndrenidaeAndrena helianthiRobertson 1891
AndrenidaeAndrena medionitensCockerell 1902
AndrenidaeAndrena microchlora *Cockerell 1922
AndrenidaeAndrena pallidiscopa(Viereck 1904)
AndrenidaeAndrena pertristisViereck & Cockerell 1914
AndrenidaeAndrena piperiViereck 1904
AndrenidaeAndrena prunorumCockerell 1896
AndrenidaeAndrena saliciflorisCockerell 1897
AndrenidaeAndrena scurra × capricornis × arabisNA
AndrenidaeAndrena solaViereck 1916
AndrenidaeAndrena speculariaDonovan 1977
AndrenidaeAndrena striatfrons *Cockerell 1897
AndrenidaeAndrena subtilisSmith 1879
AndrenidaeAndrena thaspiiGraenicher 1903
AndrenidaeAndrena vicinoidesViereck 1904
AndrenidaeCalliopsis coloratipesCockerell 1898
AndrenidaeCalliopsis personataCockerell 1897
AndrenidaeCalliopsis scutellaris *Fowler 1899
AndrenidaePerdita albipennisCresson 1868
AndrenidaePerdita amoenaTimberlake 1956
AndrenidaePerdita crotonisCockerell 1896
AndrenidaePerdita lepidospartiTimberlake 1958
AndrenidaePerdita lingualisCockerell 1896
AndrenidaePerdita oregonensisTimberlake 1929
AndrenidaePerdita salicisCockerell 1896
AndrenidaePerdita similisTimberlake 1958
AndrenidaePerdita subfasciataCockerell 1897
AndrenidaePerdita xanthochroaTimberlake 1960
AndrenidaePerdita zebrataCresson 1878
AndrenidaeProtandrena sp.NA
AndrenidaePseudopanurgus aethiops(Cresson 1872)
ApidaeAnthophora affabilis *Cresson 1878
ApidaeAnthophora albataCresson 1876
ApidaeAnthophora dammersiTimberlake 1937
ApidaeAnthophora lesquerellae(Cockerell 1896)
ApidaeAnthophora maculifronsCresson 1879
ApidaeAnthophora neglectaTimberlake & Cockerell 1936
ApidaeAnthophora pacificaCresson 1878
ApidaeAnthophora petrophilaCockerell 1905
ApidaeAnthophora porteraeCockerell 1900
ApidaeAnthophora terminalisCresson 1869
ApidaeAnthophora urbanaCresson 1878
ApidaeAnthophora ursinaCresson 1869
ApidaeApis melliferaLinnaeus 1758
ApidaeBombus appositusCresson 1878
ApidaeBombus auricomus(Robertson 1903)
ApidaeBombus bifariusCresson 1878
ApidaeBombus centralisCresson 1864
ApidaeBombus fervidus(Fabricius 1798)
ApidaeBombus griseocollis *(De Geer 1773)
ApidaeBombus huntiiGreene 1860
ApidaeBombus morrisoniCresson 1878
ApidaeBombus nevadensisCresson 1874
ApidaeBombus occidentalisGreene 1858
ApidaeBombus rufocinctusCresson 1863
ApidaeCeratina acantha *Provancher 1895
ApidaeCeratina pacificaH.S. Smith 1907
ApidaeDiadasia australis(Cresson 1878)
ApidaeDiadasia diminuta(Cresson 1878)
ApidaeDiadasia enavata(Cresson 1872)
ApidaeDiadasia lutziCockerell 1924
ApidaeEucera (Peponapis) pruinosa *(Say 1837)
ApidaeEucera acerba(Cresson 1879)
ApidaeEucera actuosa *(Cresson 1878)
ApidaeEucera edwardsii(Cresson 1878)
ApidaeEucera fulvitarsis(Cresson 1878)
ApidaeEucera primiveris(Timberlake 1969)
ApidaeEucera territella(Cockerell 1909)
ApidaeMelissodes agilisCresson 1878
ApidaeMelissodes appressaLaBerge 1961
ApidaeMelissodes coloradensisCresson 1878
ApidaeMelissodes communisCresson 1878
ApidaeMelissodes dagosaCockerell 1909
ApidaeMelissodes glenwoodensisCockerell 1905
ApidaeMelissodes lupinus *Cresson 1878
ApidaeMelissodes lutulentaLaBerge 1961
ApidaeMelissodes menuachusCresson 1868
ApidaeMelissodes microstictaCockerell 1905
ApidaeMelissodes pallidisignataCockerell 1905
ApidaeMelissodes rivalisCresson 1872
ApidaeMelissodes subagilisCockerell 1905
ApidaeMelissodes tristis *Cockerell 1894
ApidaeMelissodes utahensisLaBerge 1961
ApidaeNomada argentea(Schwarz 1966)
ApidaeNomada bohartorumMoalif 1988
ApidaeNomada suavisCresson 1878
ApidaeNomada utahensisMoalif 1988
ApidaeSvastra obliqua(Say 1837)
ApidaeTriepeolus concavus(Cresson 1878)
ApidaeTriepeolus diversipes(Cockerell 1924)
ApidaeTriepeolus helianthi(Robertson 1897)
ApidaeTriepeolus paenepectoralis *Viereck, 1905
ApidaeXeromelecta californica(Cresson 1878)
ColletidaeColletes compactusCresson 1868
ColletidaeColletes fulgidus *Swenk 1904
ColletidaeColletes gypsicolensCockerell 1897
ColletidaeColletes kincaidii *Cockerell 1898
ColletidaeColletes louisaeCockerell 1897
ColletidaeColletes lutziTimberlake 1943
ColletidaeColletes phaceliaeCockerell 1906
ColletidaeColletes simulansCresson 1868
ColletidaeColletes sphaeralceaeTimberlake 1951
ColletidaeHylaeus annulatus(Linnaeus 1758)
ColletidaeHylaeus basalis(Smith 1853)
ColletidaeHylaeus episcopalis(Cockerell 1896)
ColletidaeHylaeus hurdiSnelling 1966
ColletidaeHylaeus leptocephalus(Morawitz 1871)
ColletidaeHylaeus mesillae(Cockerell 1907)
ColletidaeHylaeus modestus(Cockerell 1896)
ColletidaeHylaeus rudbeckiae(Cockerell & Casad 1895)
ColletidaeHylaeus rudbeckiae *(Cockerell & Casad 1895)
HalictidaeAgapostemon angelicus/texanusCockerell 1924
HalictidaeAgapostemon cockerelliCrawford 1901
HalictidaeAgapostemon femoratusCrawford 1901
HalictidaeAgapostemon melliventrisCresson 1874
HalictidaeAgapostemon virescens *(Fabricius 1775)
HalictidaeDieunomia nevadensis(Cresson 1874)
HalictidaeDieunomia triangulifera(Vachal 1897)
HalictidaeDufourea marginata(Cresson 1878)
HalictidaeHalictus confususSmith 1853
HalictidaeHalictus farinosusSmith 1853
HalictidaeHalictus ligatusSay 1837
HalictidaeHalictus rubicundus(Christ 1791)
HalictidaeHalictus tripartitusCockerell 1895
HalictidaeLasioglossum athabascense *(Sandhouse 1933)
HalictidaeLasioglossum cinctipes(Provancher 1888)
HalictidaeLasioglossum foxii(Robertson 1890)
HalictidaeLasioglossum glabriventre(Crawford 1907)
HalictidaeLasioglossum hyalinum *(Crawford 1907)
HalictidaeLasioglossum incompletum *(Crawford 1907)
HalictidaeLasioglossum kincaidii *(Cockerell 1898)
HalictidaeLasioglossum lampronotumMcGinley 1986
HalictidaeLasioglossum nevadense *(Crawford, 1907)
HalictidaeLasioglossum pruinosum(Robertson 1892)
HalictidaeLasioglossum pulveris *(Cockerell 1930)
HalictidaeLasioglossum semicaeruleum *(Cockerell 1895)
HalictidaeLasioglossum sisymbrii(Cockerell 1895)
HalictidaeLasioglossum tegulare group *NA
HalictidaeLasioglossum trizonatum(Cresson 1874)
HalictidaeNomia melanderiCockerell 1906
HalictidaeSphecodes sp. 1 *NA
HalictidaeSphecodes sp. 2 *NA
MegachilidaeAnthidium maculosumCresson 1878
MegachilidaeAnthidium manicatum *(Linnaeus 1758)
MegachilidaeAnthidium utahense *Swenk 1914
MegachilidaeAshmeadiella californica(Ashmead 1897)
MegachilidaeCoelioxys octodentatus *Say 1824
MegachilidaeCoelioxys productusCresson 1865
MegachilidaeCoelioxys rufitarsis *Smith 1854
MegachilidaeDianthidium curvatum(Smith 1854)
MegachilidaeDianthidium pudicum(Cresson 1879)
MegachilidaeDianthidium subparvumSwenk 1914
MegachilidaeDianthidium ulkei(Cresson 1878)
MegachilidaeHeriades carinatusCresson 1864
MegachilidaeHeriades cressoniMichener 1938
MegachilidaeHeriades micropthalmaMichener 1954
MegachilidaeHeriades variolosus(Cresson 1872)
MegachilidaeHoplitis albifrons(Cresson 1864)
MegachilidaeHoplitis fulgida(Cresson 1864)
MegachilidaeHoplitis hypocrita(Cockerell 1906)
MegachilidaeLithurgus apicalis(Cresson 1875)
MegachilidaeMegachile agustiniCockerell 1905
MegachilidaeMegachile apicalis *Spinola 1808
MegachilidaeMegachile brevisSay 1837
MegachilidaeMegachile fidelis *Cresson 1878
MegachilidaeMegachile montivagaCresson 1878
MegachilidaeMegachile onobrychidis *Cockerell 1908
MegachilidaeMegachile parallelaSmith 1853
MegachilidaeMegachile perihirtaCockerell 1898
MegachilidaeMegachile pugnataSay 1837
MegachilidaeMegachile relativaCresson 1878
MegachilidaeMegachile rotundata(Fabricius 1793)
MegachilidaeMegachile texanaCresson 1878
MegachilidaeOsmia albolateralisCockerell 1906
MegachilidaeOsmia bakeriSandhouse 1924
MegachilidaeOsmia bruneri *Cockerell 1897
MegachilidaeOsmia cyanellaCockerell 1897
MegachilidaeOsmia grinnelliCockerell 1910
MegachilidaeOsmia integraCresson 1878
MegachilidaeOsmia latisulcataMichener 1936
MegachilidaeOsmia lignariaCresson 1864
MegachilidaeOsmia marginipennisCresson 1878
MegachilidaeOsmia montanaCresson 1864
MegachilidaeOsmia nemorisSandhouse 1924
MegachilidaeOsmia pentstemonisCockerell 1906
MegachilidaeOsmia pusillaCresson 1864
MegachilidaeOsmia rawlinsiSandhouse 1939
MegachilidaeOsmia subaustralisCockerell 1900
MegachilidaeOsmia texanaCresson 1872
MegachilidaeOsmia tristellaCockerell 1897
MelittidaeHesperapis oliviae(Cockerell 1897)

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Figure 1. Map of the Young Living Lavender Farm (YL) showing the boundaries of the farmed areas of the property and the conservation area. Collection locations are also shown. The star symbol on the map in the upper left indicates the location of the farm in the state of Utah.
Figure 1. Map of the Young Living Lavender Farm (YL) showing the boundaries of the farmed areas of the property and the conservation area. Collection locations are also shown. The star symbol on the map in the upper left indicates the location of the farm in the state of Utah.
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Figure 2. Graph of the species richness of bees collected at the Young Living Lavender Farm categorized by family. Andrenidae included 8.8% of the total species richness, Apidae included 27.9%, Colletidae contained 8.8%, Halictidae had 32.4% and Megachilidae had 22.1% of the bee fauna (see Table 1 for details). Examples of bees collected at the farm are also presented for each family.
Figure 2. Graph of the species richness of bees collected at the Young Living Lavender Farm categorized by family. Andrenidae included 8.8% of the total species richness, Apidae included 27.9%, Colletidae contained 8.8%, Halictidae had 32.4% and Megachilidae had 22.1% of the bee fauna (see Table 1 for details). Examples of bees collected at the farm are also presented for each family.
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Figure 3. Photos of bees visiting lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). (A) Anthophora urbana female, (B) Megachile rotundata male, (C) Melissodes communis male, and (D) Lasioglossum (Dialictus) sp. male.
Figure 3. Photos of bees visiting lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). (A) Anthophora urbana female, (B) Megachile rotundata male, (C) Melissodes communis male, and (D) Lasioglossum (Dialictus) sp. male.
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Table 1. Bee species found at the Young Living Farm with their abundance and the flowers they were collected on.
Table 1. Bee species found at the Young Living Farm with their abundance and the flowers they were collected on.
FamilySpeciesAbundanceFloral Association
AndrenidaeAndrena candida2air/ground, Salvia sp.
AndrenidaeAndrena microchlora2Chamomilla recutita,
Chorispora sp.
AndrenidaeAndrena prunorum2Valeriana officinalis
AndrenidaeAndrena sp.1Lavandula angustifolia
AndrenidaeAndrena striatifrons1Taraxacum officinale
AndrenidaeCalliopsis scutellaris8air/ground, Potentilla anserina, Cleome serriulata, Trifolium sp.
ApidaeAnthophora affabilis1Salvia sclarea
ApidaeAnthophora urbana30Calendula sp., Carduus nutans, Gaillardia aristate, Lavandula angustifolia, Melilotus officinalis, Nepeta × faassenii, Salvia officinalis, Salvia sclarea, Vitex agnus-castus
ApidaeApis mellifera464Cynoglossum officianale, Gaillardia aristate, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia Thymus vulgaris
ApidaeBombus fervidus2Salvia sclarea, Vitex agnus-castus
ApidaeBombus griseocollis4Carduus nutans, Circium sp., Lavandula angustifolia, Vitex agnus-castus
ApidaeBombus huntii1Lavandula angustifolia
ApidaeBombus morrisoni1Salvia sclarea
ApidaeBombus nevadensis1Salvia officinalis
ApidaeCeratina acantha3Chorispora sp., Taraxacum officinale
ApidaeDiadasia diminuta11Sphaeralcea sp.
ApidaeDiadasia enavata1Circium sp.
ApidaeEucera (Peponapis) pruinosa1Lavandula angustifolia
ApidaeEucera actuosa1air/ground
ApidaeMelissodes communis52Carduus nutans, Circium sp., Gaillardia aristate, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Salvia sclarea, Vitex agnus-castus
ApidaeMelissodes lupinus5Lavandula angustifolia
ApidaeMelissodes tristis3Gaillardia aristate, Lavandula angustifolia
ApidaeSvastra obliqua1Lavandula angustifolia
ApidaeTriepeolus paenepectoralis15Gaillardia aristate, Lavandula angustifolia
ApidaeBrachymelecta californica3Gaillardia aristate, Lavandula angustifolia
ColletidaeColletes fulgidus10Mentha piperita, Sphaeralcea sp., Vitex agnus-castus
ColletidaeColletes kincaidii10Melilotus officinalis, Salix sp., Solidago canadensis, Valeriana officinalis
ColletidaeHylaeus leptocephalus12Chamomilla recutita, Melilotus officinalis, Nepeta × faassenii, Salvia officinalis, Salvia sp., Solidago canadensis, Valeriana officinalis
ColletidaeHylaeus mesillae7Achillea millefolium, Solidago canadensis
ColletidaeHylaeus rudbeckiae1Achillea millefolium
ColletidaeHylaeus sp. 12Potentilla anserina
HalictidaeAgapostemon angelicus18Gaillardia aristate, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Origanum vulgare, Taraxacum officinale
HalictidaeAgapostemon femoratus3Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia
HalictidaeAgapostemon virescens1Lavandula angustifolia
HalictidaeHalictus farinosus2Solidago canadensis
HalictidaeHalictus ligatus113Achillea millefolium, air/ground, Calendula sp., Carduus nutans, Chamaemelum nobile, Chamomilla recutita, Circium sp., Convolvulus arvensis, Gaillardia aristate, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Origanum vulgare, Potentilla anserina, Potentilla sp., Salvia sclarea, Solidago canadensis, Sphaeralcea sp., Taraxacum officinale, Valeriana officinalis
HalictidaeHalictus rubicundus25air/ground, Melilotus officinalis, Origanum vulgare, Potentilla anserina, Salvia officinalis, Solidago canadensis
HalictidaeHalictus tripartitus23air/ground, Convolvulus arvensis, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Salvia sclarea, Solidago canadensis, Sphaeralcea sp., Taraxacum officinale
HalictidaeLasioglossum athabascense1Lavandula angustifolia
HalictidaeLasioglossum glabriventre1Melilotus officinalis
HalictidaeLasioglossum hyalinum5Achillea millefolium, Lavandula angustifolia, Salvia sclarea
HalictidaeLasioglossum incompletum75Achillea millefolium, Chorispora sp., Circium sp., Gaillardia aristate, Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melilotus officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Origanum vulgare, Salsola sp., Salvia sclarea, Taraxacum officinale
HalictidaeLasioglossum kincaidii3Potentilla anserina, Potentilla sp.
HalictidaeLasioglossum nevadense6Carduus nutans, Chorispora sp., Lavandula angustifolia, Salvia sclarea, Taraxacum officinale
HalictidaeLasioglossum pulveris3Potentilla anserina, Salvia sclarea
HalictidaeLasioglossum semicaeruleum1Ruta graveolens
HalictidaeLasioglossum sisymbrii16Lavandula angustifolia, Origanum vulgare, Ruta graveolens, Salvia officinalis, Salvia sclarea
HalictidaeLasioglossum sp. 12air/ground
HalictidaeLasioglossum sp. 21Chamomilla recutita
HalictidaeLasioglossum spp.6Lavandula angustifolia, Melilotus officinalis, Ruta graveolens
HalictidaeLasioglossum tegulare group1Melissa officinalis
HalictidaeSphecodes sp. 13air/ground, Taraxacum officinale
HalictidaeSphecodes sp. 22air/ground, Lavandula angustifolia
MegachilidaeAnthidium manicatum11Lavandula angustifolia, Melilotus officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Salvia sclarea
MegachilidaeAnthidium utahense1Carduus nutans
MegachilidaeCoelioxys octodentata1Origanum vulgare
MegachilidaeCoelioxys rufitarsis2Carduus nutans, Gaillardia aristata
MegachilidaeMegachile apicalis6Lavandula angustifolia, Nepeta × faassenii, Thymus vulgaris
MegachilidaeMegachile brevis1Lavandula angustifolia
MegachilidaeMegachile fidelis1Gaillardia aristata
MegachilidaeMegachile montivaga1Lavandula angustifolia
MegachilidaeMegachile onobrychidis1Lavandula angustifolia
MegachilidaeMegachile parallela3Gaillardia aristata
MegachilidaeMegachile perihirta1Lavandula angustifolia
MegachilidaeMegachile pugnata1Taraxacum officinale
MegachilidaeMegachile rotundata21Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Lotus lorilulatus, Melilotus officinalis, Mentha piperita, Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris
MegachilidaeOsmia bruneri3air/ground, Lavandula angustifolia, Nepeta × faassenii
MegachilidaeOsmia texana2Achillea millefolium, Melilotus officinalis
Table 2. Bee species collected on lavender.
Table 2. Bee species collected on lavender.
FamilySpeciesAbundance
AndrenidaeAndrena sp.1
ApidaeAnthophora urbana14
ApidaeApis mellifera464
ApidaeBombus griseocollis1
ApidaeBombus huntii1
ApidaeEucera (Peponapis) pruinosa1
ApidaeMelissodes communis29
ApidaeMelissodes lupinus5
ApidaeMelissodes tristis1
ApidaeSvastra obliqua1
ApidaeTriepeolus paenepectoralis4
ApidaeXeromelecta californica2
HalictidaeAgapostemon angelicus6
HalictidaeAgapostemon femoratus1
HalictidaeAgapostemon virescens1
HalictidaeHalictus ligatus6
HalictidaeHalictus tripartitus1
HalictidaeLasioglossum athabascense1
HalictidaeLasioglossum hyalinum1
HalictidaeLasioglossum incompletum45
HalictidaeLasioglossum nevadense2
HalictidaeLasioglossum sisymbrii4
HalictidaeLasioglossum spp.3
HalictidaeSphecodes sp. 21
MegachilidaeAnthidium manicatum2
MegachilidaeMegachile apicalis4
MegachilidaeMegachile brevis1
MegachilidaeMegachile montivaga1
MegachilidaeMegachile onobrychidis1
MegachilidaeMegachile perihirta1
MegachilidaeMegachile rotundata6
MegachilidaeOsmia bruneri1
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Wilson, J.S.; Young, J.G.; Wilson, L.T. The Bee Communities of Young Living Lavender Farm, Mona, Utah, USA. Diversity 2024, 16, 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020119

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Wilson JS, Young JG, Wilson LT. The Bee Communities of Young Living Lavender Farm, Mona, Utah, USA. Diversity. 2024; 16(2):119. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020119

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Wilson, Joseph S., Jacob G. Young, and Lindsey Topham Wilson. 2024. "The Bee Communities of Young Living Lavender Farm, Mona, Utah, USA" Diversity 16, no. 2: 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020119

APA Style

Wilson, J. S., Young, J. G., & Wilson, L. T. (2024). The Bee Communities of Young Living Lavender Farm, Mona, Utah, USA. Diversity, 16(2), 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16020119

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