Status and Trends Program
Multimedia
Xylocopa micans, m, back, Charleston Co., SC
The other eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans). Here is the male...more blue than black. This species does not inhabit the porches, fences, decks, and cedar siding of our houses like its cousin X. virginica. Instead it seems to select small diameter downed dead wood (though this is based on looking at pictures on google...so likely this is only part of the story).
...Pseudoanthidium nanum, m, Washington Co, face
Meet an illegal immigrant. This is Pseudoanthidium nanum a bee we first realized was present about 10 years ago. It now is established in the NJ and MD areas, and I believe I saw records from the Chicago area last year. I have only found it in the most urban of urban areas on the riot of corrupting weeds that we always bring with us where ever we live. Tiny, it is like
...Tarpela micans, U, Back, NC, Buncombie County
Collected , in Glycol trap, Tarpela micans, with lovely oil can sheen, identified by Warren Steiner
Osmia grindeliae, f, left side, Mariposa, CA
Osmia grindeliae is a widespread western mason bee. It just barely squeaks into Canada and no records as of yet in Mexico. This female was found in Yosemite National Park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Gloebal Change Biol. 2016). Photograph by Samia Shell. Photography Information:
...Eucera fulvohirta, M, Baker County, Georgia, back
Very orange and fluffy he is. And very uncommonly found. This was a nice bee to see from Sabrie Breland's captures in old long-leaf pine forests in Southern Georgia. Fulvohirta indeed. Pictures taken by Sara Guerrieri. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.
...Megachile melanophaea ,F,Side,MI, Alger County
Found at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Picture taken by Colby Francoeur.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile
Centris lanosa, F, Back, FL, Torreya
A disjunct population of a western bee...or at least not intermediate populations have been found between Florida and the West. This specimen was caught almost in Georgia, so close as it might as well be recorded for the state. Centris are oil collectors, replacing at least some of the nectar normally fed to young with oils collected from plants who lure this species
...Megachile coquilletti, f, back, Yolo Co, CA
This is Megachile coquilletti, a small bee from Yolo County in 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.
Colletes kincaidii, f, back, Grant Co., Hyannis, NE
Another mid-summer Colletes from the central prairies. Note the "cute" face with the inner edges of the eyes converging towards the mouth. For some reason this automatically makes a bee cute compared to the standard bee face format that most species display. I am note sure of the preferences of this species but many Colletes use pollen from only a small number of plants
...Lasioglossum platyparium, f, side, Charles Co., MD
The little metallic members of Lasioglossum all tend to look alike until you put them under the scope, once you do you see that some of them don't have pollen carrying hairs .... such as this L. platyparium. Those are members of the genus that are cleptoparasitic on other Lasioglossum. This species is the most common in the Mid-Atlantic area and I associate it with
...Bombus affinis, queen, racine wi, LW Macior 1965 sideface
Here is the first in a series of shots of a queen and male Bombus affinis...the newly minted endangered Bumble Bee. This specimen is from the National Collection at the Smithsonian and was collected in Racine, Wisconsin in 1965 when times were easy for this species. Collected by L.W. Macior as part of a study that produced several hundreds of this species from the same
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