<div dir="ltr">Spider and bee "roomies" have been identified (see below). Our thanks to Dr Ken Walker, who has, in the past, identified so many of my Australian bees from Acacia, Hibbertia and Thelymitra. Once again, it's echo Dr Walker and say this is a great find for citizen science. NAPPC members should try to emulate Australians with similar interests.<div><br></div><div>Peter<br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Walker, Ken</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kwalker@museum.vic.gov.au">kwalker@museum.vic.gov.au</a>></span><br>Date: Sat, Jan 16, 2016 at 9:58 AM<br>Subject: Re: [beemonitoring] Re: Fwd: FW: Bee and spider cohabiting!<br>To: Joel Gardner <<a href="mailto:gard0228@umn.edu">gard0228@umn.edu</a>>, Peter Bernhardt <<a href="mailto:bernhap2@slu.edu">bernhap2@slu.edu</a>><br>Cc: Sam Droege <<a href="mailto:sdroege@usgs.gov">sdroege@usgs.gov</a>>, "<a href="mailto:michael.batley@gmail.com">michael.batley@gmail.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:michael.batley@gmail.com">michael.batley@gmail.com</a>><br><br><br>This is indeed a cool cohabitation. The bee is Megachile macularis, the wolf spider is an undescribed species of Tasmanicosa and the flies it eats around the burrow entrance are in the family Milichiidae. I believe the spider dug or occupied the burrow first and the bee came second. The diameter of the burrow entrance appears to be wider than that normally excavated by wolf spiders. Joel is correct in saying leaf cutter bees occupy rather than dig holes. You often find them in human constructed "bee hotels".<br>
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My only theory is that predators have a prey size range which they attack - anything above that size they leave alone. The spider has been observed feeding on the small Milichiidae flies that hang around the burrow entrance. These flies have an interesting kleptoparasite habit of lapping the exuded haemolymph from prey items of spiders, predatory bugs, robber flies etc. They are known to associate with foraging ants or hang around spider webs waiting their chance to swoop down and have a "drink". The bee is at least 2-3 times larger than the flies so perhaps the spider does not see the bee as prey.<br>
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I have contacted several national and international spider and bee experts and none have heard of this cohabiting behaviour. I tend to think it is a once off but it could be more common than we think. What a great find by citizen science.<br>
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From: Joel Gardner <<a href="mailto:gard0228@umn.edu">gard0228@umn.edu</a>><br>
Sent: Saturday, 16 January 2016 7:27 AM<br>
To: Peter Bernhardt<br>
Cc: Sam Droege; Walker, Ken; <a href="mailto:michael.batley@gmail.com">michael.batley@gmail.com</a><br>
Subject: Re: [beemonitoring] Re: Fwd: FW: Bee and spider cohabiting!<br>
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I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that ground-nesting Megachile do not dig their own burrows, or at least prefer not to if they can find a pre-existing one.<br>
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There are many wolf spiders that dig burrows in the ground, and the webbing around the entrance suggests that this spider is not just a random visitor, but you are right that the behavior doesn't fit. The burrowing wolf spiders I have seen are shy and stay in their burrows, blocking the entrance. I missed that detail at first. Perhaps it is as you say and the spider moved in second.<br>
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On Jan 15, 2016 1:58 PM, "Peter Bernhardt" <<a href="mailto:bernhap2@slu.edu">bernhap2@slu.edu</a><mailto:<a href="mailto:bernhap2@slu.edu">bernhap2@slu.edu</a>>> wrote:<br>
Dear Joel:<br>
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As this is a leaf cuter bee it's obviously a megachilid. Please ask either Drs Batley, Walker or Droege if they can place it down to subgenus. I don't think the bee is living with the spider. I think it's the other way around and the bee built the burrow. This is not a trap door spider. It's closer to the wolf spiders that Australians call huntsmen. Someone should collect the spider and the bee but why break up such comfortable relationship?<br>
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Peter<br>
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On Sat, Jan 16, 2016 at 6:32 AM, Joel Gardner <a href="mailto:gard0228@umn.edu">gard0228@umn.edu</a><mailto:<a href="mailto:gard0228@umn.edu">gard0228@umn.edu</a>> [beemonitoring] <<a href="mailto:beemonitoring-noreply@yahoogroups.com">beemonitoring-noreply@yahoogroups.com</a><mailto:<a href="mailto:beemonitoring-noreply@yahoogroups.com">beemonitoring-noreply@yahoogroups.com</a>>> wrote:<br>
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These are amazing photos! Does anyone know the species of the bee? That is, can we determine if this is a unique (and possibly temporary) case, or might this species be somehow specialized to nest in spider burrows regularly? Certainly there would be benefits to such a strategy, if one could just manage to avoid being eaten. And I imagine for ground-nesting Megachile exploring under rocks and crevices, spider encounters must be fairly frequent and there would be strong selection pressure to have some way to survive them.<br>
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Joel Gardner<br>
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Posted by: Joel Gardner <<a href="mailto:gard0228@umn.edu">gard0228@umn.edu</a><mailto:<a href="mailto:gard0228@umn.edu">gard0228@umn.edu</a>>><br>
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