Colletes esakii HIRASHIMA , 1958

Colletes esakii HIRASHIMA, 1958 View in CoL

Colletes esakii View in CoL is endemic to Japan ( HIRASHIMA 1958, IKUDOME 1989) and widely distributed from Amami-ôshima Island through northern Kyushu to the central region of Honshu (distribution maps in IKUDOME 1989 and IKUDOME & SUDA 2024).

Unlike the other East Asian species of the C. caspicus View in CoL group, the biology of C. esakii View in CoL has been extensively studied ( MATSUNO et al. 2009). The main activity period is about six weeks from early July to late August ( MATSUNO et al. 2009) but single specimens were also found as late as mid-October ( MUROTA 2014, TAKAHASHI 2015). Based on analyses of 37 pure female scopal pollen loads C. esakii View in CoL is assumed to be oligolectic on Zanthoxylum ailanthoides SIEB. & ZUCC. View in CoL ( Rutaceae View in CoL ), although pollen of other plant species were found in minor proportions in brood cells ( MIYANAGA et al. 2015) and bees were observed to visit other flowers, too ( TOGASHI 1991, YAMAMOTO 2017). The nesting biology was investigated in detail by NEGORO (1986), MATSUNO et al. (2009) and MIYANAGA et al. (2015) and immature stages were described by MURAO & TADAUCHI (2005). Nests are parasitised by Cylindrothecum angustifrons (TOWNSEND) ( Diptera View in CoL : Sarcophagidae View in CoL ), Smicromyrme rufipes (FABRICIUS) ( Hymenoptera View in CoL : Mutillidae View in CoL ) and Epeolus melectiformis YASUMATSU View in CoL ( Hymenoptera View in CoL : Apidae View in CoL ) ( TOGASHI 1991, MATSUNO et al. 2009).