BIONOMICS OF LASIOGLOSSUM (EVYLAEUS) MATIANENSE (BLUTHGEN) (HYMENOPTERA, HALICTIDAE), THE PREDOMINANT POLLINATING BEE IN ORCHARDS AT HIGH-ALTITUDE IN THE GREAT HIMALAYA OF GARHWAL, UP, INDIA

The halictine bee, Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) matianense (Bluthgen) is th e most abundant bee in early May, pollinating apples soon after snowme lt at Harsil, India (elevation 2600 m), and pollinating Prunus sp. at Gangotri, India (elevation 3100 m). It nests in south-facing, sunny ba nks, where density reaches 2403 nests per m(2) ((x) over bar:290 nests per m(2)). The nests of this probably solitary species are short, sin uous, nearly horizontal burrows, ending in 1 or 2 cells at a mean dept h of 6.2 cm. This bee thermoregulates its nests by placing them in rel atively cool, moist soil among grass roots near the tops of the banks.