Template:Did you know nominations/Megachile campanulae

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by 97198 (talk) 09:37, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Megachile campanulae

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... that bellflower resin bees (pictured) are among the first insects noted to utilize synthetic materials in manufacturing nests?

5x expanded by Gaff (talk). Self nominated at 15:38, 20 September 2014 (UTC).

Sorry, but DYK rules require an article to be at least 1500 prose characters. This one is currently only 833 (note that text in a bulleted list does not count). MANdARAX • XAЯAbИAM 20:32, 20 September 2014 (UTC)

I'd also suggest changes to the hook, to "are among the first insects to use".

"Utilize" is a horrible back-formation that I shall fight against until my dying day. "Use" serves the purpose. But they don't utilize them. They build with them.
Link "synthetic", or synthetic material
"are among", although correct for grammar, is what H. W. Fowler calls "out of the frying pan"; in an attempt to make the grammatical plurals meet, you have destroyed the sentence."Is one of the first" is better, even if grammatically incorrect.[

Thus I suggest that the hook reads ... that the bellflower resin bee (pictured) is one of the first known to build with synthetic materials?

I note bellflower resin bee is blue but bellflower resin bees as in the hook is red, and thus misleading. An {{R from plural}} can sort that. Perhaps I should ce this art and resubmit it?

Si Trew (talk) 20:51, 20 September 2014 (UTC)

Thank you for the feedback re: my awkward phra·se·ol·o·gy. Any assistance with editing is greatly appreciated. I'm tired of being primarily a vandal fighter around here and would like to contribute in other ways. --—Gaff ^ταλκ 21:28, 20 September 2014 (UTC)

That's all right, I know nothing about them but am good with a blue pencil (editing). I can try to bulk it, you have time, but I am no expert in matters apian, nor is my name dropped where beekeepers foregather.

ALT1 ... that this year York University found bellflower resin bees stealing synthetic materials to build their own homes?

Si Trew (talk) 23:05, 20 September 2014 (UTC)

ALT2 ... that last New Year's Eve, York University scientists reported bellflower resin bees were stealing synthetic materials to keep their young safe? --—Gaff ^ταλκ 03:40, 21 September 2014 (UTC)

Sufficiently expanded, expansion took place recently enough (assuming 19 September to be the start date). No indication of copyvio or close paraphrasing. Image is correctly licensed, used in the article, and looks good at this size. Neutral (not that I expect you to exhibit a large amount of bias about a species of bee!) I would go with Si Trew's first hook suggestion, (... that the bellflower resin bee (pictured) is one of the first species known to build with synthetic materials?) Creator's first DYK, so no QPQ needed. However, a large portion of the text from the first paragraph of the Nest construction section is not attributed to a source. Once that's fixed, it should be good to go. (Although it might be nice to have a short description of the species, but it isn't strictly necessary.) G S Palmer (talk • contribs) 15:26, 21 September 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. I'm working on expanding, adding some general info about leaf-cutters to create context. Will not be difficult, because can paraphrase and work off references from articles already available. I assume QPQ is quid pro quo. If that is an issue, I am more than happy to do some reviews on other DYK articles, as yes, this is my first time on here. This story is quirky enough that I thought it might be a good DYK. It also brings up important issues regarding pollinators, and evolving issues on urbanization/impacts on pollinator health (all big in the press currently). Re: unreferenced text in 1st paragraph: no problem gettign cites, as this is very general... --—Gaff ^ταλκ 15:44, 21 September 2014 (UTC)

For quid pro quo, there's no requirement that you review other nominations till you get to your fifth DYK. So don't worry. G S Palmer (talk • contribs) 16:44, 21 September 2014 (UTC)

Nice work. Si Trew (talk) 21:03, 21 September 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. Added some pics, cleaned it up some more yesterday. --—Gaff ^ταλκ 14:45, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

As an aside, "utilize" may not technically qualify as a back-formation. (Back-formed from what?) Gawky and stilted it may be, however... --—Gaff ^ταλκ 14:55, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

Back-formed from "utilization". To be honest I didn't check any dictionaries to see if lexicographers would say it is or not. I just never see why one would use it, er utilize it: um, what its utility is, when "use" as both noun and verb seems to serve. I must admit I have a bee in my bonnet with back formations, perhaps I am too pedantic. F'rexample: to "orientate" (which is a back formation) why not "to orient" (or "to turn" or "to face"?) "Disorientated" is even more horrible; "lost" or "confused" will usually do. On the other hand I am not het up about typos (obviously when scrubbing up one removes them, but there are worse sins). Si Trew (talk) 09:22, 23 September 2014 (UTC)

ALT3 ... that the bellflower resin bee (pictured) is one of the first species known to build nests using plastic?
- @Gaff: still needs a source for the last sentences in the two nest construction section paragraphs. G S Palmer (talk • contribs) 19:25, 23 September 2014 (UTC)

@G S Palmer: Done & done. Two new references to the article. Good resources on leaf cutters. —Gaff ^ταλκ 02:35, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

Great! It is now good to go. Very nice article. G S Palmer (talk • contribs) 02:05, 25 September 2014 (UTC)