Abstract:
The Megachilidae presents a very diversified family in the clade of Apoidea, this
diversity plays an important role in the maintain of the ecosystem including its valuable
pollinating efficiency in many cultures due to the existance of a scopa that can load an
important quantity of pollen. Species of this family deppend on constructing a solitary nests
unlike honey bees wich share one beehive. The nesting behaviour of Megachilid bees differs
from species to another, this group of bees uses different types of material in building its own
nests such as: soil, wool, resin, mud, flower’s petals and leaves, these lasts can take different
structures in natural habitats, but most within cavities either prepared in artificial trap nests or
existed once in nature. Despite the diversity of Megachilidae in Algeria which is presented
with more than a hundred reported species, nests structures and biology of the majority of
these species are still unknown and understudied. This work presents the nesting behaviour
and biology of Anthidium florentinum (Fabricius, 1775) in both natural habitats and artificial
trap nests that were installed in the campus of Salah Boubnider (constantine). This wild bee is
commenly called the wool carder bee, it is characterized with its posterior paws equiped with
strong spines, deppends on scratching wool from preexisting cavities, plant leaves, stump
needles and dandelions, in order to build its particular wooly nest. The study of nests in bothe
natural habitats and installed trap nests allowed us to demonstrate the flower preferences and
material used in constructing the nests. Diameter preferences and larvae dispositoin within
artificial trap nests are also mentionned and illustrated
