An annotated checklist of the bees of Washington state

By

Bartholomew, Chanda
Murray, Elizabeth
Bossert, Silas
Gardner, Joel
Looney, Chris

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

97

Pages

1007--1121

Subjects

Anthophila , Apoidea , faunal list , New state records , Pacific Northwest , pollinators

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.97.129013

 

Abstract

Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) are vital components of global ecosystems, yet knowledge of their distribution is limited in many regions. Washington state is located in an ecologically diverse part of North America and encompasses habitat types and plant communities known for high bee species richness. To establish a baseline for future studies on bee communities in the state, we used published and unpublished datasets to develop a preliminary annotated checklist of bees occurring in Washington state. We document, with high confidence, 565 species of bees in Washington and identify an additional 102 species likely to occur in the state. We anticipate future research survey efforts, such as the newly initiated Washington Bee Atlas, will discover several species that have the potential to occur in Washington and provide new data for 84 species which have not been recorded in more than 50 years.