Dataset: FIT for purpose? Sampling Bees in Flowering Canopies with Flight Interception Traps

The present dataset contains the complete list of bee individuals sampled for a study that investigated the feasibility of sampling bees in flowering tree canopies with window interception traps (WIT) and aerial Malaise traps (AMT), both equipped with a bottom collector (below the interception surface) and a top collector (above the interception surface). We sampled bees in flowering canopies of four tree taxa: willow (Salix), apple (Malus), black locust (Robinia), linden (Tilia). Sampling took place over five sampling rounds between 4 March and 10 June 2024. We sampled bees in trees located on the JKI campus in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany, or near to the JKI campus (two apple trees; about 1km distance to the campus center). In total, 395 individuals from 34 bee species were sampled, including 247 honeybee (Apis mellifera) individuals. The list of sampled bee individuals contains information on sampling details (including sampling period, trap type, collector position, site), as well as information on the collected bee individuals (including operational taxon, determined genus and species based on morphological identification, sex). A second data sheet contains information on the location of the study sites.