Nesting behavior of Centris flavofasciata (Hymenoptera: Apidae) with respect to the source of the cell wall

All of the 13+ species of Centris bees that occur in the Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica construct brood cells consisting of local materials cemented together by a waxy-resin. A major question to be determined was whether the soil, sand, or wood chips which form the cell wall of the various species of Centris are cemented together by waxy-resin secretions from female bees, from other sources, or a mixture. The nests of Centris flavofasciata generally consist of a single provisioned cell at the end of a short (6-10 cm) tunnel excavated in sand. The nesting behavior is described and can be divided into four major steps once a site is selected by a female. The four major steps are: 1) tunnel construction, 2) cell construction, 3) cell provisioning, and 4) nest completion. These steps are further subdivided and provided a method to investigate the possible source of the waxy-resin.