Images

Carrying on from the recent posts of Lithurgus chrysurus, here is another European bee that specializes on Knapweed. This specimen from the West Coast, but it occurs throughout North America. Photo by Anders Croft. This bee was collected in the California Central Valley in Yolo County for research on small-scale restoration in agricultural areas.

Megachile apicalis - Invasive species: Specialist on knapweeds: Not common unless you haunt industrial and other wastelands where it can be common. Always carry a net in these areas so that you clearly as seen as a harmless nature nut. Collected in Cumberland, Maryland. Picture by Heagan Ahmed and photoshopped by Elizabeth Garcia.

From Alleghany County in western Maryland in the town of Cumberland down along the Railroad tracks, which is a go to collecting spot for me, since there are almost always tall weeds with bees on them. One wishes that other people did the same things with native meadow plants along roads and yards instead of just mowing them to pieces all the time.

A trinomial: Megachile brevis onobrychidis. Thus it is a declaired subspecies of M. brevis of which there have been several and at least one has turned into a species. Since the distribution of M.

One of the most common of the Mid-Atlantic leaf-cutters. Another early work of ours that we are just pushing out to clear some backlog. Who picks these specimens anyway...that pin is placed terribly. Photograph by Brooke Alexander and Shopped by Elizabeth Garcia.

Same as the previous shot....

We almost never show the undercarriage of a bee....but, here you go. A Megachile from Morocco that is in the Chalicodoma subgenus, group, or sometimes full blown genus depending upon your taxonomic proclivities.

A Megachile from Morocco that is in the Chalicodoma subgenus, group, or sometimes full blown genus depending upon your taxonomic proclivities. Characteristically the females do not cut leaves to line the nests but use resin or mud and thus do not have the scissors-like cutting edges on their mandibles. This nicely arrayed species is from Iran.

Dominican Republic

Megachile latimanus, face

A common and large leafcutting bee from Maine, collected by Brianne Du Clos. This is a male and note the large expanded tarsal segments on the front legs. These are used to hide the females eyes during mating. Dejen Mengis is the photographer.

A sharp looking Megachile from Yosemite National Park. Megachile melanophaea is a bee that runs all across the arctic, the northern parts of the East and down the mountains in the West. Unlike many northern species is does not seem to be interested in the Appalachians.

Leaf-cutter. The most common leaf-cutter in most of Eastern North America. It carries pollen on the underside of its abdomen and those hairs are distinctly tinged with orange, something found in only a few other eastern Megachile. Photograph by Amanda Robinson.

Many of the Megachile are pea lovers and this one is no exception. A spring member of the Chalicodoma subgenus. Collected by Jelle Devalez as part of his studies of the islands of Greece. Photography by Brooke Alexander.

Many of the Megachile are pea lovers and this one is no exception. A spring member of the Chalicodoma subgenus. Collected by Jelle Devalez as part of his studies of the islands of Greece. Photography by Brooke Alexander.

The male of Megachile mucida, this is one of the leafcutter bees, Collected by Heather Campbell in the Southern Pines area of North Carolina.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount County

A southern bee that just barely gets up into the upper coastal plain of North America. This specimen comes from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where it found its way tot their lovely pollinator garden. In that same garden its nest parasite, Coelioxys germana provided Maryland's first specimen record. Photography by Wayne Boo.

A southern bee that just barely gets up into the upper coastal plain of North America. This specimen comes from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where it found its way tot their lovely pollinator garden. In that same garden its nest parasite, Coelioxys germana provided Maryland's first specimen record. Photography by Wayne Boo.

An interesting bee from Florida. Collected by Anthony Abbate. Not much is know about this species, it shows up in collections not very commonly and has western counterparts which may, or may not, be the same species. So much to do!

The all black Leaf-Cutter, Megachile xylocopoides, this one found in Florida. The species is found in the East and seems to be gradually invading its way to the North...Picture by Amber Reese and photoshopping by Dejen Mengis.