Systematics and Phylogeny of the Bees

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9302186 Michener This project will finish a comprehensive book length work on the phylogeny and systematics of bees of the world, with supplementary information on nesting and mating behavior, flower preferences and the like. Using parsimony programs, the phylogeny of higher taxa (tribes to families) will be investigated and presented. Keys for identification to the level of subgenus will be produced. This work will be a contribution to the knowledge of bee evolution and systematics. In addition, because bees are essential pollinators of many plants and honey bees often are poor pollinators, studies of all bees need to be facilitated for agricultural and conservation purposes. This work will make possible bee identification (to the subgenus level) by ecologists, botanists, and those concerned with biodiversity (that may be limited by loss of pollinators) and will make possible improved understanding of bees as a group. Moreover, the study of bees has had a major impact on the conceptual bases of various evolutionarily important phenomena (e.g. altruism and sociality). A comprehensive phylogenetic and systematic treatment will provide a framework on which to evaluate such matters, both past work and future studies. %%% Because bees are essential pollinators of many plants and honey bees often are poor pollinators for some plants, studies of all bees need to be facilitated for agricultural and conservation purposes. This work will make possible bee identification by ecologists, botanists and those concerned with biodiversity (that may be limited by loss of pollinators) and will make possible improved understanding of bees as a group. ***