Dear Colleagues, I am a master's student in the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducting a study on nest substrate quality and ground-nesting bee reproduction and behavior.
One important factor when considering the effects of soil quality on ground-nesting bees is the interaction between the soil conditions and the brood cell linings that many of these bees utilize. To address this, I have built a number of observational nests similar to those described by Michener and Brothers (1971, *Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society*) to use with *Lasioglossum *(*Dialictus*) *zephyrum *"colonies." However, while I have actually been able to find males and foraging females here in central Illinois, I have not been able to successfully locate and excavate any nests (the most desirable individuals for establishing new nests are the darkened pupae and callows from field nests). Therefore, I am reaching out to the ECOLOG community to see if anyone still uses *L. zephyrum* nests and if it would be possible for me to purchase a few starter "colonies." If you do or know someone that might, please contact me off-list at [email protected]. Regards, Nick Anderson Master's Student in Entomology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
