[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 20, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48684-48685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23251]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 90-Day 
Finding on Petition To List the Riverside Cuckoo Bee as Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of petition finding.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 90-day 
petition finding to list the Riverside cuckoo bee (Holcopasites ruthae) 
as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(Act). The Service finds that substantial information has not been 
presented to indicate the requested action may be warranted. 
Information is lacking to adequately identify the status and 
distribution of the Riverside cuckoo bee.

DATES: The finding in this notice was made on September 11, 1995. 
Comments and materials regarding this petition finding may be submitted 
to the Field Supervisor at the address listed below until further 
notice.

ADDRESSES: Information, comments, or questions regarding this petition 
finding should be submitted to the Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Field 
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2730 Loker Avenue West, 
Carlsbad, California 92008. The petition, the Service's finding, and 
additional information are available for public inspection, by 
appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Nagano, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above address (telephone 619/431-9440).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that the Service make a 
finding on whether a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a species 
presents substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate 
that the petitioned action may be warranted. To the maximum extent 
practicable, this finding is to be made within 90 days of the receipt 
of the petition.
    On April 14, 1992, the Service received a petition dated April 13, 
1992, from Dr. K.W. Cooper of the University of California at 
Riverside, California. The petitioner requested that the Service list 
the Riverside cuckoo bee (Holcopasites ruthae) as an endangered 
species. The petition was clearly identified as such and contained the 
name, signature, and address of the petitioner. A letter acknowledging 
receipt of the petition by the Service was sent to the petitioner on 
May 15, 1992. On April 16, 1992, Dr. Cooper submitted a second letter 
requesting the Service list the Riverside cuckoo bee under an emergency 
basis.
    The Service's finding is based on information contained in the 
petition, the literature provided by the petitioner, and information 
available in the Service's files. All documents are on file in the 
Carlsbad Field Office (See ADDRESSES section).
    The Riverside cuckoo bee is associated with coastal sage scrub 
containing brittle bush (Encelia farinosa) within a relatively small 
area of northwestern Riverside County, California (Visscher et al. 
1992). Its known distribution extends from the City of Riverside east 
to near Calimesa and south to the Lake Perris Recreation Area. This 
species is a solitary cleptoparasite (an organism that feeds on food 
stored for the host larvae). The only known host of the Riverside 
cuckoo bee is the dagger andrenid bee (Calliopsis pugionis) (Visscher 
et al. 1992; Cooper 1993), which is endemic to Los Angeles, Riverside, 
and San 

[[Page 48685]]
Diego Counties in southwestern California (Shinn 1967; Krombein 1979).
    The petitioner stated that the Riverside cuckoo bee merited 
protection under the Act because it was imperiled by the proposed 
construction of a U.S. Department of Agriculture soil laboratory. At 
that time the proposed laboratory site contained the only known 
population of the species. A survey was subsequently conducted in April 
and May 1992 to find the Riverside cuckoo bee in portions of 
westernmost Riverside County and a few adjacent portions of San 
Bernardino County (Visscher et al. 1992). The survey was designed to 
cover areas of habitat similar to the coastal sage scrub where the 
Riverside cuckoo bee was originally discovered at the proposed 
laboratory site. The 1992 survey found the Riverside cuckoo bee at 7 of 
84 sites (8 percent) containing potential habitat. The dagger andrenid 
bee was located at 19 of the 84 sites (23 percent). Construction of the 
soil laboratory was completed in 1994 (G. Ballmer pers. comm. to C. 
Nagano, March 28, 1995).
    The ecology and distribution of cleptoparasitic anthrophorid bees 
are poorly known (R.R. Snelling, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles 
County, pers. comm. to C. Nagano February 9, 1995; G. Eickwort, 
University of Arizona, in litt. June 12, 1992). Bees of the genus 
Holcopasites are extremely cryptic in their ecology and behavior. These 
small bees are usually collected when they are either searching for 
mates or for suitable hosts at the host colonies. They are highly alert 
and extremely fast fliers that are unlikely to be observed or captured 
during entomological studies of a ``casual'' nature.
    Although other cleptoparasitic anthrophorid bees are known to use 
more than one bee species as hosts (R.R. Snelling, pers. comm. to. C.D. 
Nagano, April 27, 1995), ecological studies have not been conducted to 
determine if the Riverside cuckoo bee utilizes other andrenid bees of 
the genus Calliopsis. Given the ecology and biology of the Riverside 
cuckoo bee, surveying for the dagger andrenid bee is the most 
appropriate method of ascertaining the distribution of the petitioned 
species. Surveys of this nature or specific surveys for the Riverside 
cuckoo bee throughout the entire range of the dagger andrenid bee or 
other suitable host species have not been completed (Ballmer ibid; 
Snelling pers. comm. to C. D. Nagano, February 9, 1995; Visscher et al. 
1992). Although other invertebrate groups are well known, such as 
butterflies and tiger beetles, there are few specialists working on 
cleptoparasitic bees and their hosts.
    The Service has carefully reviewed the petition. On the basis of 
the best scientific and commercial information currently available, the 
Service has determined that the petition does not present substantial 
information indicating the requested action may be warranted. 
Information is lacking to adequately identify the status and 
distribution of the Riverside cuckoo bee. However, the Service is 
interested in any additional information about the Riverside cuckoo bee 
that may be available. Please submit any additional information to the 
Carlsbad Field Office (see ADDRESSES section). If additional data 
become available in the future, the Service may reassess the listing 
priority for this species or the need for listing.

References Cited

Cooper, K.W. 1993. The first Holcopasites from western California, 
H. ruthae new species, and H. linsleyi, a new species from 
southwestern Arizona (Hymenoptera, Nomadinae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. 
Wash. 95(1):113-125.
Krombein, K. 1979. Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of 
Mexico. Volume 2 Apocrita (Aculeata). Smith. Inst. Press., 
Washington, DC.
Shinn, A.F. 1967. A revision of the bee genus Calliopsis and the 
biology and ecology of C. andreniformis (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae). 
The Univ. of Kansas Sci. Bull. 46(21)753-936.
Visscher, P.K., B.N. Danforth, and M.M. Barnes. 1992. Investigations 
of the biology and distribution of a new species of Holcopasites 
found on the proposed salinity laboratory site. Department of 
Entomology, Univ. of Calif., Riverside.

Author

    The primary author of this document is Chris Nagano (see ADDRESSES 
section).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.

    Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: September 11, 1995.
Jay L. Gerst,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 95-23251 Filed 9-19-95; 8:45 am]
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