New Zealand has 27 native solitary bee species. Unlike honeybees, they forage and build nests independently. Native bees make nesting tunnels in loose soil  or use plant material to build nests.

"Despite having small population densities, they are vital for pollinating native plants and agricultural crops. However, there is little knowledge about native solitary bees in New Zealand.

"Our research focused on observing the foraging and nesting behaviours of three native bee species in Dunedin. We employed video cameras to observe their behaviours at their nesting site.

"Two species foraged longer and more frequently during the morning compared to midday and the afternoon, averaging about 24 minutes per trip. The third species foraged at least one hour. Furthermore, all three native bees spent similar lengths of nesting time between foraging trips throughout the day.

"Interestingly, we observed multiple inividuals of one species (Lasioglossum sordidum) sharing one nesting tunnel, indicating primitive colony-like behaviour.

"Our findings contribute to a better understanding of their behavioural ecology, but more research is needed to aid future conservation efforts.

"Our study was made possible through the wonderful support from Department of Zoology from
University of Otago, Dunedin Botanical Gardens, Tūhura Otago Museum and Dunedin City
Council.