An Aseptic Technique for Rearing Larvae of the Leafcutting BeeMegachile Rotundata(Hymenoptera, Megachilidae)

Abstract
Summary Development of an aseptic rearing technique for larvae of the leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata (Fabricius), was necessitated by ongoing studies on the etiology of chalkbrood in this bee. The procedure involves rinsing the surface of the viable egg to remove or kill spores of the presumed causative agent, Ascosphaera aggregata Skou. Hatching and growth to the pupal stage occur in a sterile, provisioned well of a microtitration plate enclosed in a sterile sealable petri dish.