Principal Sunflower Bees of North America on the Southwestern United States

Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980. Limited Edition. Octavo in wraps; 158 pp: frontispiece, 11 figures, 5 plates, 17 tables; 26 cm Very good; stamping to front wrap; rubbing to corners; pages clean, binding tight. Paperback.

"The publication "Principal Sunflower Bees of North America with Emphasis on the Southwestern United States" is a significant contribution to the field of zoology, particularly focusing on the ecological and evolutionary aspects of bees that utilize sunflower (Helianthus) for their survival and maintenance of viable populations. This research highlights the importance of sunflower bees in the natural history of North America, particularly in the Southwestern region. The study includes a detailed analysis of the intrafloral, geographic, diurnal, and seasonal interrelationships between bees and various species of Helianthus present in North America. It establishes that over 400 species of native bees visit the flowers of Helianthus in America north of Mexico, with those species that have evolved a specialized intrafloral relationship with these flowers serving as the principal pollinators of theseplants." --Publisher