"... The vast majority of bee species on earth live solitary lives. A single female constructs her own nest, defends it against intruders, parasites, and predators, and forages for pollen, nectar, or floral oils as food for her offpsring ... Solitary bees are fascinating ... [exhibiting] extraordinary diversity in morphology, mating behavior, life history, nest architecture, foraging behavior, [etc.]. They are far more abundant than social bees [living in hives] ... and they have evolved remarkable adaptations for surviving ... harsh and unpredictable habitats. They are important, but underappreciated, pollinators of many wild and agricultural plants ... [existing] on earth for more than 120 million years ..."--Introduction (page [1]).

1. Introduction -- 2. Bee phylogeny, bee diversity, and the distinction between solitary and social bees -- 3. The solitary bee life cycle -- 4. Alternative male mating tactics : the race to be first and the race to be last -- 5. The surprising utility of males -- 6. Nest architecture and brood-cell construction -- 7. The tools of the trade : floral rewards and how bees harvest them -- 8. Foraging and provisioning behavior -- 9. The microcosm of the brood cell : a bestiary of in-nest mutualists -- 10. Brood-parasitic (cuckoo) bees -- 11. Non-bee parasites and predators -- 12. Bees and plants : love story, arms race, or something in between? -- 13. Solitary bees and agricultural pollination -- 14. Threats to solitary bees and their biological conservation -- 15. Epilogue: The Scala naturae.