Nesting biology of Anthodioctes lunatus (Smith) is described and the occurrence of the species at Northeastern Brazil is registered. Nests were collected at Guaribas Biological Reserve (Paraíba State, Brazil) using trap-nests from May/2000 to May/2002 during a study of trap-nesting bees and wasps. Nests of A. lunatus were collected in December/2001 and January/2002, in a savanna-like vegetation typical of the coastal ecosystem known as Tabuleiro. A total of 10 nests was collected, from which 19 females and 16 males emerged. Bees nested in holes with diameters 0.6 - 0.8 and 1.1 cm. The period of nest building and adult activity was December and January, the dry season in the study area. The nests are constituted of a linear series of brood cells with the walls constructed with a pure red vegetal resin. Bees transported the red resin to the nest with the mandibles and the first pair of legs. Mean length of nests was 59.4 mm (n = 10 nests), and mean number of cells per nest was 6.6 (n = 10). Length of the cells varied from 6.5 mm to 10.0 mm. Cocoons containing females were significantly longer and larger than those of males. Mortality of immatures per nest varied from 0 to 100%. Fungi and a parasitic microhymenoptera were responsible for the high mortality rate. Nest building period was short, limited to the dry season, and bees presented a long diapause in the prepupa stadium, with only one generation per year (univoltine).
Solitary bee; trap-nest; nesting behavior; nest architecture
