Notes on Behavior of Bees 219 
Notes on the Behavior of Certain 
Solitary and Social Bees" 
Phil Rau, Kirkwood, Mo. 
Colletes inaequalis (Say) 
About twenty bees of this species were at play in the air at a 
moist spot in the road bordering a small stream at Ranken, Mo., 
April 19, 1931. These were seen in this attitude all day. I was 
directed to we spot by Dr. Meiners who had seen the colony at 
the same place one day a week previous. He had seen the bees 
per sel a oa dance with many matings while they 
were on the wing. Today only females were present and they 
siivided their time equally between dancing in the air and resting 
on the moist ground. When at rest their tongues were fully 
extended and were seen to drain moisture from the surface of 
the mud and from bits a bees: nearby. No nests of this bur- 
rowing bee were to be se 
Megachile montivaga (Cress) 
A\ hollow sumac twig containing the nest of this leaf-cutter 
bee was taken at Kimmewiel, Mo., early in the spring of 1926, 
Vive adult bees emerged within a three day period between 
May 26 and 28. 
I was especially attracted to this twig because of the unusual 
method practised by this mother in closing the nest. e made 
a heavy plug over the outside opening in the stem in addition 
to the usual plug over the series of leaf cups two inches below. 
This outside opening in the side of the stem was probably made 
by a woodpecker; the mother bee, it is interesting to note, while 
usually only placing a plug over her row of cells, in this case 
also placed a second plug at the opening in the wall evidently 
to siake it doubly secure against parasites. This shows that 
there was a slight bit of intelligence in her method. 
* 4ll bees ong serge wasps mentioned in this paper, except those 
marked S. were identified by Dr. Grace Sandhouse. oso 
marked “S. a ee were kindly identified by Mr. S. A: Rohw 
lll plants were named by Dr. Robert E. Woodson. 
