Over 70% of native bees are ground nesting, with the females digging and provisioning their own individual nests in the autumn. Each cell is provisioned with a ball of pollen and nectar, with the egg laid right on top. When the larvae hatches, it will find all the food it needs right at hand. The larvae or pupae overwinter in these nest cells, which are coated with a special substance to repel moisture and mold–-a characteristic that’s allowed us to get a precious glimpse of the distant past.
In 2020, Argentinian-based scientists found fossilized ground nesting bee nests 100 million years old in Patagonia. The nests were formed by bees in the Halictidae tribe (sweat bees). With over 500 species in North America alone, it’s one of the largest and most diverse families of bees in existence.
The nest tunnels, with their grape-shaped alcoves or cells, were dug in soil formed by volcanic ash, and bear a strong resemblance to those we might find today.
For more information and some stunning photos of these fossils, visit the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences .
Photo: © Heather Holm
