D3050: Biodiversity of bees (Anthophila) among riparian and upland habitats in the upper Llano River Basin (Texas, USA)

Rivers throughout the arid landscape of Central and South Texas are threatened by invasive species such as Giant Reed (Arundo donax) and feral hogs. The South Llano River runs through the Edwards Plateau and is integral to the unique ecology and biodiversity of the region, yet native plant and pollinator communities and their linkages remain understudied.  Bee and native plant communities were sampled approximately monthly (2023 – 2024) using a variety of methods (hand nets, pan traps,  blue vein traps), and communities were compared across riparian and upland habitats. Information from the project will advance what is known of the Anthophila in the region and provide background inventories for monitoring and ecological restoration.  Specimens from the project are being transferred to long-term storage in the Invertebrate Zoology Collection at the TTU Natural Science Research Laboratory and the TTU E.L. Reed Herbarium., and data is being digitized for long-term accessibility by researchers and educators.