ABSTRACT
Study area, pollinator management, and regional adaptability. A population of Osmia ribifloris was maintained for four generations in a secure 1 5 m X 9 m X 5 m ( L X W X H ) screenhouse located at the USDA-ARS Small Fruit Research Station, Poplarville, MS. Cocoons stored for 90-120 days at 4-5°C were warmed at 2 1-29°C to break adult dormancy just before each release. Incubation conditions and seasonal emergence patterns for cocooned bees (i.e., emergence date, sex, parasites, and release date) were recorded daily for O. ribifloris. As part of the X-ray screening protocols for natural enemies, the parasitic wasps, Monodontomerus sp. and Sapyga pumila Cresson were removed, and healthy adult Osmia ribifloris transferred to the screenhouse for testing. Cocoons containing healthy prepupae (i.e., post defecating larvae) that had not emerged the first year were held a second year to test their viability. Methods for acquiring and managing wild bees were those described by Sampson and Cane (2000).
