Images

Various Andrena, adding to the catalog....most with bad hair. Sigh.

Andrena wellesleyana is one of the many Andrena species. It is also one of a number of species where the males have extensive yellow on their faces while the females are completely black. I the bulk of species both males and females have black faces.

Andrena wilkella, female, Washington County, Maryland

Andrena wilkella, male, Washington County, Maryland, MD

Of the woodland oriented bees this is regionally the most common one, Andrena carlni, this male is relatively easy to tell because of the black hairs that line the edges of the eyes and the ocelli that are set back from the back of the head. Photography by Amanda Robinson.

Of the woodland oriented bees this is regionally the most common one, Andrena carlni, this male is relatively easy to tell because of the black hairs that line the edges of the eyes and the ocelli that are set back from the back of the head. Photography by Amanda Robinson.

Various Andrena, adding to the catalog....most with bad hair. Sigh.

Andrena aliciae, male

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Here is a series of male and female Anthidiellum ehrhorni. these are small, relatively cute in the scheme of things, bees that dwell in the drylands of Southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. They are fast flying and remind me of flying peas for some reason. Though I can't recall any peas that look like A. ehrhorni.

Here is a series of male and female Anthidiellum ehrhorni. these are small, relatively cute in the scheme of things, bees that dwell in the drylands of Southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. They are fast flying and remind me of flying peas for some reason. Though I can't recall any peas that look like A. ehrhorni.

Anthidiellum - Latin dimunitive of the the larger, and more robust, genus Anthidium. This little bees often go unnoticed both because they are very small and because they are very fast...zipping from flower to flower seemingly without resting.

A lovely little southern pea loving bee. Its so nice to know that these little flying jewels are out there and not everything is a honey bee. Collected by Sabrie Breland in the southern pinelands of Georgia and photographed by Sara Guerrieri.

Background fun. Note that in one picture in this series we put a background of grass in our mini-insect studio in front of the black velvet curtain. What do you think ...pro? con?This is Anthidium illustre a snappy looking beast from the Rocky Mountains west.

What a lovely female Anthidium manicatum from Massachusetts. This species is a non-native species that has successfully invaded much of the Eastern parts of North America, in particular it is fond of ornamental gardens containing furry leaved plants which it uses to line its nest.

Anthidium manicatum is an invasive bee that showed up sometime in the 19 eighties in North America. It is particularly fond of garden plants such as stachys and appears to largely be restricted to areas of human occupancy. The specimens come from Massachusetts, and I wish I could recall who gave them to me, but for now I have forgotten.

Andrena fragilis, Cecil County, Maryland

Andrena gardineri, Maryland, May 2012

Andrena nigrihirta, female, National Park Service

Andrena nigrihirta, female, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan