• McIntyre, Nancy E.

We compared the species richness and abundance of pollinator (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) communities in two seasons (September 1998 and April 1999) among four types of urban land use in the Phoenix, Arizona, USA, metropolitan area (xeriscaped residential yards, mesiscaped residential yards, urban desert-remnant parks, and natural desert parks on the fringe of the metropolitan area). Richness and abundance of bees were generally lower in residential areas than in desert areas, with desert areas on the fringe of the metro area possessing the highest diversity of all sites. Residential yards that utilized xeric landscaping had a more diverse bee community (with proportionally more rare species) than did mesic (turf grass) yards, particularly in late summer (September). Although bee community structure was apparently unaffected by the density of local habitat features (native and exotic trees, shrubs, cacti, and herbaceous plants in addition to human-built structures), the types of habitat features do appear to influence the number and types of bees present in an area. These results suggest that urban development can be designed to promote the conservation of bees. Specifically, preservation of desert and greater use of xeric landscaping rather than mesiscaping may help preserve this ecologically and economically vital group of organisms.