OneGen - an old idea
In the American northwestern states, a high % of field-emerged second generation
bees
is a common observation. In the late 1970s, the USDA Bee Biology and
Systematics Laboratory at Logan, Utah, undertook a program to introduce lines
of leafcutter
bees from Spain. Parker and Tepedino (1982) reported
that these selections had a greatly reduced second generation; thus 23% of
females from the American line emerged whereas
none of the Spanish females emerged during the summer season. Unfortunately
these valuable lines were not maintained.
In any event, the maintenance of any commercial lines from these selections
would have been seriously hampered by the wild populations of Megachile
rotunda found
throughout the major alfalfa seed producing areas of the USA.
Parker,
F.D. and
Tepedino, V.
J. (1982). Maternal influence on diapause
in the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Annals of the Entomological
Society of America 75: 407-410.
OneGen - the Canadian selection
In 1982, 2000 cells of the French univoltine (one-generation) strain (Tasei
and Masure, 1978) were
imported into Canada and raised under quarantine. These bees originated in
southern France at a latitude of 45 degrees north where
there was natural selection pressure against second generation survival. Selections
were made over a 18 year period near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The absence of
feral populations of Megachile rotunda in the surrounding area facilitated
the breeding program and the propagation of selected lines. The most striking
biological feature of the univoltine selection is its increase in diapause
intensity. (Rank and Rank, 1989)
Tasei, J.M. and Masure, M. M. 1978.
Sur quelques facteurs influencant le developpement de Megachile pacifica
Panz ( Hymenoptera: megachilidae). Apidologie 9: 273-290.
Rank, G. H and Rank, F. P. 1989. Diapause intensity in a French univoltine and
a Saskatchewan commercial strain of Megachile rotundata (FAB.) The Canadian Entomologist
121: 141-148.