Identification of Bee and Wasp Species at the Multidisciplinary Faculty of the West, University of El Salvador

Abstract

Introduction: Academic and administrative activities began on the campus of the Multidisciplinary Faculty of the West (FMOcc) in 1966. Bees and wasps have inhabited the campus long before it became a place of study, where they have found what they need to survive, and today they face the risk not only of being displaced from their habitat but also of facing extinction, primarily due to climate change. Objective: To identify the species of bees and wasps at the Multidisciplinary Faculty of the West, University of El Salvador. Method: Non-experimental, observational. This is an exploratory study; observations of bees and wasps were made while they were actively searching for food sources to identify the species present, without determining their distribution and abundance. Results: The identified bees and wasps are listed, along with their observed morphological descriptions, feeding habits, nesting, and behaviors. These results were compared with the Picture Insect database, the iNaturalist platform, and academic literature to determine which of the species suggested by the app was the most similar. Additionally, a comparison and visual inspection of the photographic records were conducted to verify that it was indeed the suggested species, thereby finally classifying the observed specimens.