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Mating site specificity, reproduction and vector selection in Nemognatha nigrotarsata (Col., Meloidae), a nest parasite of leaf‐cutter bees and other pollinators of crops in Rio Grande do Sul

Leafcutter bees are important pollinators of crops like alfalfa, sunflowers, apples etc. In order to select the appropriate species for future use as pollinators on technical grade in Brazilian agriculture their local abundance, seasonality, nest site preferences and parasitic pressure have to be considered. We studied the reproductive biology of the meloid bettle Nemognatha nigrotarsata, a parasite in nests of leafcutter bees. Infestation rates of nests by this blister beetle and by parasitic bees and bombyliid flies in a population of leafcutter bees in Rio Grande do Sul reached a total of 7% of the brood cells. This low grade of parasitism should not limit the use of leafcutter bees as pollinators. Suggestions are made to select indigenous megachilide species for large scale pollination technologies in Brazil.