Images

Bombus auricomus, A species regularly found in urban areas, but uncommon elsewhere, this one is from Baltimore along powerlines near the collectively owned Armistead Gardens

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected at Morris Arboretum by Stephanie Wilson

Male Bombus bimaculatus from Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, captured in the new native plant circle

Not all bumblebees gather pollen. Some, like this Bombus citrinus, take over the nests of other bumblebee species and use their workers to provision the nests of their young.

Some bumble bees are parasites. A common theme in the bee world...to the tune of about 20% of all the species. Why go to all that work gathering pollen when you can just lay your egg in someone else's nest. Then in an evolutionary spy vs.

Some bumble bees are parasites. A common theme in the bee world...to the tune of about 20% of all the species. Why go to all that work gathering pollen when you can just lay your egg in someone else's nest. Then in an evolutionary spy vs.

Some bumble bees are parasites. A common theme in the bee world...to the tune of about 20% of all the species. Why go to all that work gathering pollen when you can just lay your egg in someone else's nest. Then in an evolutionary spy vs.

A parasite of other bumblebeeds, B. citrinus, is the most common parasitic species in the East, but, as a parasite this still means it is very uncommon. The tale is simple, this species invades a nest, eliminates queen, and makes workers raise its own young.

A somewhat bedraggled Bombus crotchii from Yolo County, California..."This bee was collected in the California Central Valley in Yolo County for research on small-scale restoration in agricultural areas. Claire Kremen's 10-year study of hedgerows shows the benefits of planting native shrubs and forbs in agricultural areas for native bees.

The giant bumblebee (Bombus dahlbomii). A denizen of the southern Andes and widely believed to be in decline due to competition and perhaps spread of pathogens with two introduced European bumblebees that have invaded the region. You notice this bee when it flies by. Dramatically orange with yellow highlights on the traditional deep black integument of bumblebees.

The giant bumblebee (Bombus dahlbomii). A denizen of the southern Andes and widely believed to be in decline due to competition and perhaps spread of pathogens with two introduced European bumblebees that have invaded the region. You notice this bee when it flies by. Dramatically orange with yellow highlights on the traditional deep black integument of bumblebees.

The giant bumblebee (Bombus dahlbomii). A denizen of the southern Andes and widely believed to be in decline due to competition and perhaps spread of pathogens with two introduced European bumblebees that have invaded the region. You notice this bee when it flies by. Dramatically orange with yellow highlights on the traditional deep black integument of bumblebees.

A wee little Anthophora. Meet Anthophora flexipes. I don't know much about this species since it lives out West where I don't live, but it is cute and it is an Anthophora. Collected way up the mountains from a burn study in Yosemite National Park by Claire Kremen's bee study group.

Very raggedy picture of Anthophora occidentalis from the Badlands of South Dakota

Introduced species from Japan...now found throughout the Washington D.C. area...very abundant and expected to spread.

One of the common Anthophora species found in early spring in the olive groves of Greece. They're visiting many spring flowers that provide a lot of nectar and pollen, like Muscari and Asphodelus. This particular specimen was collected by Jelle Devalez who hunts bees in the Aegean islands.

A slightly disheveled Anthophora from the Carribbean collected by Sara Prado. This species is known from Hispaniola to the western part of the Lesser Antilles. Wouldn't it be interesting to figure out the ancient history of this species colonization/evolution in the island chain. Pictures taken by intern team Maggie Yuan and Sara Guerrieri.

Here is a series of males and females of Anthophora urbana from Yolo County, California. This bee was collected in the California Central Valley in Yolo County for research on small-scale restoration in agricultural areas. Claire Kremen's 10-year study of hedgerows shows the benefits of planting native shrubs and forbs in agricultural areas for native bees.

Here is a series of males and females of Anthophora urbana from Yolo County, California. This bee was collected in the California Central Valley in Yolo County for research on small-scale restoration in agricultural areas. Claire Kremen's 10-year study of hedgerows shows the benefits of planting native shrubs and forbs in agricultural areas for native bees.

Messy. This Anthophora is just not very common around the MidAtlantic and I can't quite figure out any particular patterns to where it is ...and where it is not. It is also distributionally interesting since it is found on both coasts, but not in the prairies. Very suspicious. There needs to be an investigation. Are these different species?

Here is Anthophora ursina...a male. It has populations in the West and the East but none in the middle of the continent. Which makes one wonder if there are two or one species involved. In the past at least they have been considered different Subspecies. This is not a common bee. I a have seen relatively few individuals, and those from West Virginia.