Andrena alamonis

Andrena alamonis is presumed to be a narrow pollen specialist that visits only species in the genus Physaria for pollen. This species likely nests underground like all other Andrena (Danforth et al. 2019), but nests for this specific species have not been described. Nest cells from other members of this genus are located at the ends of the lateral burrows, which are typically lined with a waxy Dufour’s gland secretion (Cane 1981) that serves to both isolate the provision from pathogens in the surrounding soil and to regulate water uptake from the soil atmosphere (Cane and Love 2021). Females provision each cell with a ball of pollen and nectar, on which they lay a single egg (Michener 2007). Observations for this bee are from March and April (Chesshire et al. 2023). Adults are assumed to emerge annually, but they may remain in diapause as immatures in years of low rainfall. Many desert bee species are able to diapause for multiple years and synchronize their emergence when sufficient winter rains trigger floral hosts such as Physaria to bloom (Danforth et al. 2019).

1.6 Conservation actions 3. Monitoring -> 3.1. Population trends 3.4. Habitat trends Assessment Date of assessment (month-day-year): 4/5/2023 Assessors names (use * to indicate primary assessor, typically the participant with most experience/knowledge of the species): Saff Killingsworth Reviewer(s): Robert Minckley, Sarina Jepsen Contributors(s): Wyatt Zabinski For a full list of the 162 institutions that contributed to the Chesshire et al. dataset, please see Chesshire et al. 2023, S1. Facilitator(s) and compiler(s): Paige R. Chesshire, Erica E. Fischer, Nicolas J. Dowdy, Terry L. Griswold, Alice C. Hughes, Michael C. Orr, John S. Ascher, Laura M. Guzman, Keng-Lou James Hung, Neil S. Cobb and Lindsie M. McCabe Red List Category and Criteria: Data Deficient Justification: Andrena alamonis is a bee species known from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The extent of occurrence, based on known records, is 546,519 km2, however, this species has rarely been observed since the late 1980s, and it is unclear if the species persists in all parts of its range. This species has been collected from only 14 localities, but as there have been no known systematic surveys for this species, it is possible that it occurs elsewhere. Potential threats to this species include climate change and drought, agricultural development, and habitat loss. More research is needed to determine if this species still persists within its range. However, because of its large extent of occurrence and the lack of systematic survey efforts within its range, it is assessed as Data Deficient. NatureServe Specific Text: For Rank Calculator: 1. Element occurrences (using separation distance of 5,000 m): B. 12 1. Estimated Number of Element Occurrences Comments: This species is not common in collections, and has limited recent occurrences. The only two records since 1986 come from the same Texas County (W. Zabinski, unpublished data 2023). 1. Population size: Unknown 2. Viability/Ecological integrity (choose one) 1. Number of occurrences with good viability/ecological integrity: Unknown 2. Percent of area occupied (For Species with Known AOO): N/A 3. Environmental Specificity: B. Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. 1. Environmental specificity comments: This species is a pollen specialist, and relies primarily on species in one genus of plant (Physaria), which may be limited in abundance during periods of drought. 4. Intrinsic Vulnerability: B. Moderately vulnerable 1. Intrinsic vulnerability comments: Andrena have been reported to have low reproductive output because of the short adult life span, and a low rate of brood cell provisioning (reviewed in: (Danforth et al. 2019). 5. Trend 1. Short Term Trend: Unknown 2. Comments: Abundance estimates and population trends are not known for this species. 3. Long Term Trend: Unknown 4. Comments: Abundance estimates and population trends are not known for this species. For Biotics Global Element Characterization: 1. Habitat: Shrubland/chaparral, Grassland/Herbaceous, Desert Literature References Brown, Mark J. F., and Robert J. Paxton. 2009. “The Conservation of Bees: A Global Perspective.” Apidologie 40 (3): 410–16. Cane, James H. 1981. “Dufour’s Gland Secretion in the Cell Linings of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).” Journal of Chemical Ecology 7 (2): 403–10. Cane, and Love. 2021. “Hygroscopic Larval Provisions of Bees Absorb Soil Water Vapor and Release Liquefied Nutrients.” Apidologie 52 (6): 1002–16. Chesshire, Paige R., Erica E. Fischer, Nicolas J. Dowdy, Terry L. Griswold, Alice C. Hughes, Michael C. Orr, John S. Ascher, et al. 2023. “Completeness Analysis for over 3000 United States Bee Species Identifies Persistent Data Gap.” Ecography, February. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06584. Danforth, Bryan N., Robert L. Minckley, John L. Neff, and Frances Fawcett. 2019. The Solitary Bees: Biology, Evolution, Conservation. Princeton University Press. Grab, Heather, Michael G. Branstetter, Nolan Amon, Katherine R. Urban-Mead, Mia G. Park, Jason Gibbs, Eleanor J. Blitzer, Katja Poveda, Greg Loeb, and Bryan N. Danforth. 2019. “Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes Reduce Bee Phylogenetic Diversity and Pollination Services.” Science 363 (6424): 282–84. Hung, Keng-Lou James, Sara S. Sandoval, John S. Ascher, and David A. Holway. 2021. “Joint Impacts of Drought and Habitat Fragmentation on Native Bee Assemblages in a California Biodiversity Hotspot.” Insects 12 (2). https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12020135. Michener, Charles Duncan. 2007. The Bees of the World. Vol. 1. JHU Press. Minckley, R.L., Roulston, T.A.H. and Williams, N.M., 2013. Resource assurance predicts specialist and generalist bee activity in drought. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 280(1759), p.20122703. Packer, Laurence, Amro Zayed, Jennifer C. Grixti, Luisa Ruz, Robin E. Owen, Felipe Vivallo, and Haroldo Toro. 2005. “Conservation Genetics of Potentially Endangered Mutualisms: Reduced Levels of Genetic Variation in Specialist versus Generalist Bees.” Conservation Biology: The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology 19 (1): 195–202. Potts, Simon G., Jacobus C. Biesmeijer, Claire Kremen, Peter Neumann, Oliver Schweiger, and William E. Kunin. 2010. “Global Pollinator Declines: Trends, Impacts and Drivers.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution 25 (6): 345–53. Raven, Peter H., and David L. Wagner. 2021. “Agricultural Intensification and Climate Change Are Rapidly Decreasing Insect Biodiversity.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118 (2). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002548117. Roberts, Stuart, Simon Potts, Koos Biesmeijer, Michael Kuhlmann, William Kunin, and Ralf Ohlemüller. 2011. “Assessing Continental-Scale Risks for Generalist and Specialist Pollinating Bee Species under Climate Change.” BioRisk : Biodiversity & Ecosystem Risk Assessment 6 (December):1–18. Rousseau, Josée S., S. Hollis Woodard, Sarina Jepsen, Brianne Du Clos, Alison Johnston, Bryan N. Danforth, and Amanda D. Rodewald. 2024. “Advancing Bee Conservation in the US: Gaps and Opportunities in Data Collection and Reporting.” Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2024.1346795. Williams, A. Park, B. I. Cook, and S. E. Smerdon. 2022. “Rapid Intensification of the Emerging Southwestern North American Megadrought in 2020–2021.” Nature Climate Change 12 (3): 232–34. Williams, N. M., Elizabeth E. Crone, T’ai H. Roulston, Robert L. Minckley, Laurence Packer, and Simon G. Potts. 2010. “Ecological and Life-History Traits Predict Bee Species Responses to Environmental Disturbances.” Biological Conservation 143 (10): 2280–91. Wilson Rankin, Erin E., Sarah K. Barney, and Giselle E. Lozano. 2020. “Reduced Water Negatively Impacts Social Bee Survival and Productivity Via Shifts in Floral Nutrition.” Journal of Insect Science 20 (5). https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieaa114. Wojcik, Victoria A., Lora A. Morandin, Laurie Davies Adams, and Kelly E. Rourke. 2018. “Floral Resource Competition Between Honey Bees and Wild Bees: Is There Clear Evidence and Can We Guide Management and Conservation?” Environmental Entomology 47 (4): 822–33.

No known conservation actions are in place for this species. Observations of this species are known from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, but this does not confer any specific protections to the species. Further research is needed to determine the overall size of the population and to identify trends and better understand existing threats. Specific conservation needs for this species have not been identified. Due to the importance of supporting wild bee populations for pollination services, general conservation practices are recommended including, restoring, creating, and preserving natural high-quality habitats to include suitable forage and nesting sites; limiting pesticide use on or near suitable habitat, particularly during the adult bee’s flight period; promoting farming and urban practices that increase pollinator-friendly plants in margin space; minimizing exposure of wild bees to diseases transferred from managed bees; and lastly, avoiding honey bee introduction to high-quality native bee habitat.

Surveys targeting this species throughout its historic range are needed to determine this species persistence throughout its range. More information is needed about the population status, range limits, habitat, and ecology of this species.

(a. any taxonomic concerns about the validity of the species? b. any taxonomic revisions underway that would require a species reassessment?):