Images

For some reason I really like the lighting on the face of this specimen... eerie, the bee contemplating the decline of its own kind, that sort of thing. But I depart...Here is Andrena bradleyi, the Long-faced Mining Bee, a vaccinium (blueberry) specialist. If you hang out around blueberries then you might find this bee...the flowering plants that is.

As its name implies, Andrena caerulae, is a bee with a deep blue shimmer to its skin. Unlike the plain black models of most of the other 500+ species of Andrena this species stands out, making identification a bit easier.

Of the woodland oriented bees this is regionally the most common one, Andrena carlni, this male is relatively easy tp 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.

This is a northern / arctic species that occurs worldwide. Recent discoveries have shown its distribution extends to high elevations in West Virginia (thank you Jane).This specimen is from Maine (thank you Alison).

Andrena confederata - A male of this uncommon species found in Calvert County and photographed by Dejen Mengis.

Andrena confederata - A male of this uncommon species found in Calvert County and photographed by Dejen Mengis.

Go to the woods in the Eastern United States, find a blooming Rhododendron, look for this bee, it specializes Rhodos and Azalea pollen for its babies. Collected in Giles County (probably on a Rhododendron) by Barbara Abraham's students at Mountain Lake Biological Station.

An often uncommon spring Andrena, I associate with the Appalachians, this is a male with a sweet yellow clypeus. Collected by MaLisa Spring near Marietta, Ohio. Photograph by Brooke Alexander. Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

Two different specimens of Andrena geranii. A northernish species that appears to be a specialist on ....geraniums. Notable is the slight blue metallic sheen to the body. Aaman Dengis and Brooke Alexander took the pictures.

Connecticut, Tracy Zarillo Collector

Sunflowers. Specifically, the genus Helianthus to separate out the other "sunflower" plants. Only found in North America. So tall and glorious that we have adopted many for our gardens. Thrusting skyward they telegraph their supply of pollen and nectar to the bees that only feed their young pollen of Sunflower. Here is one of them. The appropriately named A.

A larger Andrena...about the size of a honey bee. A spring forager, not well studied, but shows up here and there throughout much of the deciduous forest landscape of the East south of New England. Photo by Kamren Jefferson.

Yet another! Large Melandrena species from the Eastern United States. The males are particularly difficult to tell apart. This one come from the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina.

Pennington County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Male Andrena cressonii from Dorchester County, Maryland

In the spring, this species (Andrena cressonii) can show up almost anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic and throughout much of the country. Common, but rarely abundant. The vibe on this male is: wide head, yellow on the clypeus and yellow in the parocular area (this is area between the central clypeus and compound eyes).

A somewhat odd position with its pollen covered (likely geranium pollen) leg out and its head cocked towards us. Photoshopping by Thistle Droege and photograph by Brooke Alexander.

Andrena dunningi. A large dark Andrena. This lovely female, in fresh plumage, is relatively easy to identify simply by the orange brown color of its body hairs along with the nearly black hairs located on its hind legs which it uses to carry pollen to its nest.

A very early spring bee, covered in pollen, collected by a homeowner in Bowie, Maryland

A little male mining bee about the size of a grain of rice. Andrena personata is something I associate with sparse fields, not so much lawns. My guess that the usual lawn weeds don't have the right mix of patriotically native flower species it is looking for. Kind of pixie like, is what I want to say.

Sexy Andrena. Yes, the normally black Andrena does have some sexy species. Here is one of my favorites. Andrena prunorum jacketed in amber with ribbing of white fur...or something like that. A common western species that leaked just enough out of the West to show up in Badlands National Park where we were studying the bee fauna of the Park.