Images

The Channel Islands off of the coast of California have their own endemic set of animals and plants. I would expect that there might be some insects of the bee kind that might be endemic to, though I'm not familiar enough with their literature to know that is the case. Here, is Melissodes lustra from those islands. Photography from Sue Boo.

So many bees so little time. This is Melissodes rivalis. A male. See the long antennae? That makes it one of the long-horned bees....a clade of several bee genera, mostly summer time species, composite lovers. This is but one of about 4000 U.S. species.

Asteracea is important. Here is Melissodes subillatus, which is fluffy, but basically about the size of a honey bee. It, like so many Melissodes, and so many bees in general, is an Asteraceae specialist. This species does not appear to be too picky and uses a range of fall composites, but a look inside the pollen loads would be interesting for sure.

Asteracea is important. Here is Melissodes subillatus, which is fluffy, but basically about the size of a honey bee. It, like so many Melissodes, and so many bees in general, is an Asteraceae specialist. This species does not appear to be too picky and uses a range of fall composites, but a look inside the pollen loads would be interesting for sure.

Found in Urban Baltimore, Armistead Gardens

Megachile armaticeps, Cuba, GTMO, June 2011 Female

Megachile campanulae, Allegany Count, MD, May 2012

Megachile mendica, male, May 2012, Allegany County, Maryland

Megachile relativa, female, Allegany County, Maryland, May 2012

Megachile sculpturalis, Maryland, Cumberland, Allegany County

Megachile townsendiana, female, Florida

What an interesting species. Instead of flying during the day, this species flies just before dawn and just after dusk, times where we have difficulty seeing. This species, however, forages on crepuscular and night fowering flowers, more often associated with bats and moths. Note the large eyes and ocelli.

Meganomia binghami, Bingham 's Giant, collected in South Africa by Bryan DanforthMales of many species of bee have various modifications that are not found in the females and are presumably sexually selected "“ they arose because the females preferred males with, rather than those without, these strange features.

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A cranberry specialist. This bee is one of the few bees that specializes on bogs and bog plants and is found in scattered locations from Southern New England along the coastal plane to the Gulf Coast. This specimen was collected by Heather Campbell in the sandhills of North Carolina.

Melitta haemorrhoidalis, Red-butted Campanula Lover, specimen collected by R.C.L. Perkins in Wotton-under-Edge, EnglandMelitta is the Greek word for bee, and the name of the favorite activity indulged in by the authors "“ melittology "“ is based upon this. Melitta bees are specialists.

Melitta haemorrhoidalis, Red-butted Campanula Lover, specimen collected by R.C.L. Perkins in Wotton-under-Edge, EnglandMelitta is the Greek word for bee, and the name of the favorite activity indulged in by the authors "“ melittology "“ is based upon this. Melitta bees are specialists.

This is the lovely female of the male previously illustrated. A nest parasite from the dry regions of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, this group infiltrates the communal nests of Exomalopsis to lay their eggs in the nest cells being built. Lovely combination of plush hair bands and shiny integument.

A nest parasite from the dry regions of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, this group infiltrates the communal nests of Exomalopsis to lay their eggs in the nest cells being built. Lovely combination of plush hair bands and shiny integument.

Paranthidium jugatorium, male, first record for Maryland, Allegany County

Mark Hepner collected this Puppy in West Virginia. This lovely yellow and black species (a common pattern out there in the bee world) is one of those specialist bees that lives in its own little neighborhood. That neighborhood for Paranthidium jugatorium is the world provided by Woodland Sunflowers...but only in the East, which means it is an Appalachian species.