Images

Andrena barbara, female

Andrena barbara, female

Yellow Bee: Yellow Pollen : Andrena hirticincta : Maine : Agriculture field edges. This is a fall bee, a bee of goldenrod and aster. How nice. Collected By Brianne Du Clos and photographed by Dejen Mengis.

Andrena ilicis. A bit of a mystery bee. It seems to be associated with Woodlands, but other than that I don't have much of a feel for the species. This one was collected in Somerset County Maryland.

From malaise traps set in the woodland bottomlands of the Patuxent River comes the uncommonly detected Andrena illicis. Here is a male with its notable orangish legs.

Andrena lupinorum, Pennington County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Andrena macra, a southern bee that just barely makes its way to Maryland. Seems to like to aggregate nests in sandy areas and create small colonies, although colonies are probably a poor word choice, perhaps more likely they just like to nest near one another.

A little tiny Andrena bee collected in the sandhills of North Carolina by Heather Campbell. Not much is know about this species, other than it appears to be uncommon and spotty in occurrence and runs from the West to the East coast with a fair amount of variation, which usually indicates that other species may be hidden within this one. So much work to do.

Andrena barbara, male

Andrena bisalicis, female, Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, SC, Chesterfield County

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.

A dark spring Andrena mining bee seen throughout the East in woodlands and the edge of woodlands foraging on the blooms of trees and the flowers that appear in early spring within rich deciduous woods. Andrena carlini is often the most common Andrena. One of the few bees in this large taxonomic group with dark pollen collecting hairs.

A male Andrena carlini, partially covered in Meloidae beetle triungula. An example of hypermetamorphosis in a parasitic beetle. Collected by Jane Whitaker in West Virginia in 2013

Jackson County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

An uncommon spring bee, this is Andrena confederata. This bee, occurs in low numbers throughout the region. There are relatively few records, but my impression is that it likely occurs regularly in the right situations. What those situations are and what the habitats they prefer might be, is unclear. Nothing new, so much to learn about bees.

Andrena merriami, female Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Another dark northern Andrena. This one also runs down the high elevations of the Rockies and the Appalachians. Collected in Hancock County, Maine and contibuted by Alison Dibble.

Another dark northern Andrena. This one also runs down the high elevations of the Rockies and the Appalachians. Collected in Hancock County, Maine and contibuted by Alison Dibble.

Andrena nasonii. In this case a female, one of the least distinguishable species there is, but fortunately very common and so there are small and differences between the species and others that together allows us to recognize it when plowing through thousands of them.

Andrena nasonii. In this case a female, one of the least distinguishable species there is, but fortunately very common and so there are small and differences between the species and others that together allows us to recognize it when plowing through thousands of them.

An abundant Andrena, often found in lawns and disturbed field like situations. The males are as generic as they come but have a tiny point coming out of their integument on either side of the underside of their thorax. Thank goodness. Photographer ...