SD39: Using early successional habitat along transmission line rights-of-way to understand the ecology of the Nearctic Melitta species M. eickworti

The genus Melitta is diverse in the Palearctic but represented in North America only by a handful of scarce specialists. As a result, the ecology and conservation status of these Nearctic species remains poorly understood. I report findings to date on the life history of a Melitta eickworti population recently located across the early successional habitat of transmission line rights-of-way (ROW) in southern New York State. This ongoing study focuses on observed floral visitations, nesting biology, and habitat occupancy of M. eickworti individuals sampled at ROW field sites, providing a unique opportunity to document the ecology of these rare species and determine the importance of early successional habitat to their persistence in the northeast. Additionally, the known host plant for M. eickworti (Deerberry) has been documented near the existing population and at surrounding ROW sites in southern New York. Thus, I also aim to map the presence of Deerberry across surveyed ROW habitat and ultimately use GIS spatial modeling to predict likely locations of this native shrub. Overall, this work adds valuable information to the limited amount of knowledge surrounding M. eickworti populations and can be used to assess conservation status and habitat management for this understudied bee.