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M. A. M. Osman and M. A. Shebl
the synchronization of the host plant blooming and their bee pollinators and misses
matching and changes the plant-pollinator phenology [96]. So, the bees could miss
the blooming season of their major floral plants, which will affect the bee survival
and disappearance, this might be happening and was proved in rare cases [96, 97].
Also, with climate change, it is expected to have some more changes on the bee
generations and their inter correlations with their foraging resources. It is known
that bee’s voltinism (the number of generations per year) divided into univoltine,
bivoltine, multivoltine and an uncountable number of generations with social species.
So, within the time when the whole ecosystem will change, some species will have
more dominant superiority and others will completely disappear and decline. It is
not easy to prove this assumption, especially with insufficient studies in this regard
in Egypt. However, there are a lot of agricultural areas across the whole country
completely changed from a cultivated area to urban and suburban cities. Beekeeping
activities have been stopped in these areas, and many species of solitary bees that
were recorded in the past are not present at this time. This is clearly showed in our
research works on major pollinators of broad bean; Anthophorids, which considered
as one of the major bee pollinators of this economic plant [98, 99, 90]. Egypt was
one of the richest Mediterranean countries with this group of solitary bee, and the
total recorded number was over 80 species [86] but the total species number is
currently less than the number recorded in the past [89]. With a clean environment
and more diverse vegetation and floral resources, we will get more number and
a diverse number of bee species richness and abundance. So, it is recommended to
encourage farmers, local agriculture producers, and natural protectorate conservative
areas and national parks mangers for cultivated bee-friendly plants. We introduced
Phacelia tanacetifolia to our conservation area of bees at the Suez Canal University
campus in 2015. Fortunately, the plant attracts several plant pollinators of butterflies,
honeybees and solitary bees (Fig. 1). Several bee species were recorded visiting
this plant such as Megachile cinnamomea, Megachile mintissiuma, Chalicodoma
siculum, Stelis murina (Megachilidae); Apis mellifera, Amegilla sp., Certaina trasata,
Xylocopa pubscences (Apidae); Nomidiodes sp. (Halictidae), Colletes lacunatus,
Hylaeus (Colletidae) and Andrena flavipes (Andrenidae) (Shebl, unpublished data).
5.4 Honeybee Pests and Diseases
Many species of bee pollinators are in decline; these declines have been reported
worldwide [11]. The impacts of diseases, parasites, and pathogens on pollinator
populations are of growing concern globally [12–14]. Managed honey bees and
bumble bees are affected by parasitic mites, many diseases and pathogens, and there
is evidence that these can spread from commercial colonies to wild populations
and species [100–103]. There are some pests have a great impact on the number of
honeybee colonies across Egypt especially the red date palm wasp, Vespa orientalis.
This was attacking a lot of colonies, especially in the late summer season from July
and August in addition to some other minor pests such as ants and wax moths [104].
M. A. M. Osman and M. A. Shebl
the synchronization of the host plant blooming and their bee pollinators and misses
matching and changes the plant-pollinator phenology [96]. So, the bees could miss
the blooming season of their major floral plants, which will affect the bee survival
and disappearance, this might be happening and was proved in rare cases [96, 97].
Also, with climate change, it is expected to have some more changes on the bee
generations and their inter correlations with their foraging resources. It is known
that bee’s voltinism (the number of generations per year) divided into univoltine,
bivoltine, multivoltine and an uncountable number of generations with social species.
So, within the time when the whole ecosystem will change, some species will have
more dominant superiority and others will completely disappear and decline. It is
not easy to prove this assumption, especially with insufficient studies in this regard
in Egypt. However, there are a lot of agricultural areas across the whole country
completely changed from a cultivated area to urban and suburban cities. Beekeeping
activities have been stopped in these areas, and many species of solitary bees that
were recorded in the past are not present at this time. This is clearly showed in our
research works on major pollinators of broad bean; Anthophorids, which considered
as one of the major bee pollinators of this economic plant [98, 99, 90]. Egypt was
one of the richest Mediterranean countries with this group of solitary bee, and the
total recorded number was over 80 species [86] but the total species number is
currently less than the number recorded in the past [89]. With a clean environment
and more diverse vegetation and floral resources, we will get more number and
a diverse number of bee species richness and abundance. So, it is recommended to
encourage farmers, local agriculture producers, and natural protectorate conservative
areas and national parks mangers for cultivated bee-friendly plants. We introduced
Phacelia tanacetifolia to our conservation area of bees at the Suez Canal University
campus in 2015. Fortunately, the plant attracts several plant pollinators of butterflies,
honeybees and solitary bees (Fig. 1). Several bee species were recorded visiting
this plant such as Megachile cinnamomea, Megachile mintissiuma, Chalicodoma
siculum, Stelis murina (Megachilidae); Apis mellifera, Amegilla sp., Certaina trasata,
Xylocopa pubscences (Apidae); Nomidiodes sp. (Halictidae), Colletes lacunatus,
Hylaeus (Colletidae) and Andrena flavipes (Andrenidae) (Shebl, unpublished data).
5.4 Honeybee Pests and Diseases
Many species of bee pollinators are in decline; these declines have been reported
worldwide [11]. The impacts of diseases, parasites, and pathogens on pollinator
populations are of growing concern globally [12–14]. Managed honey bees and
bumble bees are affected by parasitic mites, many diseases and pathogens, and there
is evidence that these can spread from commercial colonies to wild populations
and species [100–103]. There are some pests have a great impact on the number of
honeybee colonies across Egypt especially the red date palm wasp, Vespa orientalis.
This was attacking a lot of colonies, especially in the late summer season from July
and August in addition to some other minor pests such as ants and wax moths [104].