Kingdom Animalia Order Hymenoptera Genus Nomia Scientific name Nomia melanderi Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Family Halictidae Subgenus Acunomia Higher classification Nomia | |
 | ||
Similar Bee, Nomia, Insect, Sweat bees, Hymenopterans | ||
Alkali bee bed
The alkali bee, Nomia melanderi, is a ground-nesting bee native to deserts and semi-arid desert basins of the western United States.
The bee nests in salt-saturated soil. It is an effective pollinator for alfalfa. They are known to perform a specialized technique for opening alfalfa flowers for pollination, by which the bee applies pressure to snap open the keel of the flower. Due to the bees' unusual nesting needs, farmers have developed ways to accommodate them.
It is preyed upon by the conopid fly Zodion obliquefasciatum.
References
Alkali bee Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA