Images

Megachile brevis, female, Kent County, Maryland, June 2012

Megachile-parallela,-side

Megachile timberlakei, Hawaii, Oahu, March 2012

Megachile-townsendiana,-female,-side

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.

Melanempis scoliiformis, Bottle Green Madagascan Cuckoo, specimen collected in MadagascarAlmost all of the bees native to the large and geographically isolated island of Madagascar are endemic (as are most of the flora and the rest of the fauna for that matter), occurring only on that Island and not on the mainland of Africa.

Here we have the light colored form of Melecta albifrons, and because of that given the subspecies name albovaria. A very variable species found widespread throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, as its host is the very common species Anthophora plumipes. Collected on Grecian Isle Lesvos by Jelle Devalez as part of a study of the bees fauna of the region.

Sara Prado found this Megachile concinna in agriculture fields in her Puerto Rico studies. Is it native to P.R.? Nope. It is a tramp species that shows up in different places from its homeland in the Mediteranean. Photo by Brooke Alexander.

Here is a small leaf cutter from Puerto Rico. However, it is not native to P.R. but likely inadvertently introduced through its habit of nesting in holes in wood...which could be holes in pallets or packing crates. Found is scattered locations around North America and even in Hawaii.

A sweet little leaf cutter from Tucson Arizona, Megachile coquilletti is a hole nester and I imagine like its sister taxi in the East probably is happy to nest in people's yards and benefits from rich plantings of desert and dry country native plants. Collected by Tim McMahon and picturated by Elizabeth Garcia.

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.

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.

One of the resin collecting bees, they are in the leaf-cutting bee genus, but separate their walls with resin rather than leaves. They love it if you drill holes in your porch posts (personal observation). This Megachile exilis males has some expanded front leg segments that help in its id...how nice. Collected in Talbot County, Maryland.

Megachile farinosa: a rather rare species and with conspicuous red legs, a feature which is very uncommon in European Megachile. This species flies in high summer and the female gathers pollen only on the flowers of Vitex agnus-castus.Some alternative or past names for the species include Chalicodoma farinosa or Pseudomegachile farinosa.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

A mysterious species of Megachile that seems to have recently become common in the East, this specimen or one like it represents the first Maryland record and was collected from the back parking lot of Redskin's Stadium, not exactly the wilderness (or perhaps just a different wilderness..).

A sand loving, ground nesting Megachile from Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook in New Jersey. 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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

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.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee - A leaf cutting bee, common throughout much of North America