Images

This bumblebee species has almost entirely disappeared from its West Coast range due to a recent epidemic sweeping through some bumblebee populations. However, the Rocky Mountain populations still persist and there is hope that the West Coast population will also recover and resume its place as one of the most common bumblebee species in the West.

Ah, the lovely yellow of Bombus perplexus. For some reason this species' coloration tends towards bright yellow while other eastern bumbles are more subdued in their yellowness. It varies with their age (the sun fade bumbles plumage) but a nice lemon yellow usually means this species.

Sections of a male Bombus perplexus, illustrating the hair and shape patterns. A regular, but somewhat uncommon bumble bee, that is noted for the more extensive yellow hairs on the thorax and abdomen than most bumble bee species. Photographs by Greta Forbes.

More Bombus perplexus shots, in this case...males. You can tell they are males because they have 13 rather than 12 antennal segments and the hind legs lack the pollen carrying corbicula (bare area) on the tibia. Lemon yellow though! Specimens from Central Pennyslvania from Laura Russo's study there. Photographs by Kelly Graninger.

This is the main orange butted Bumblebee of the East. Bombus ternarius. It can be very common in places like the Adirondacks where this one was collected, but occurs throughout a wide range of the Upper Midwest to New England and throughout southern Quebec and Ontario in our gardens and fields.

An uncommon species and one that had under gone some recent declines, Bombus terricola has seen increases recently in at least parts of its range.

Bombus vagans. One of a set of Bumble bee tricksters for those who have to identify them. Very similar to B. sandersoni, and B. perplexus. Each with enough variations in their abdominal plumage to sometimes cause some specimens to go unidentified. Here is a male,.... first 2 tergites with yellow remainder black.

There are about 50 species of bumble bees north of Mexico. Here is a common northern species that creeps down the mountains to the Appalachians. It also appears to be retracting its southern range edge...perhaps due to global warming or who knows? Still common in the north, but something to keep track of.

Campylenchia latipes - Widefooted Treehopper or Eastern Thornhopper, found in the woods edge in Upper Marlboro, MD., Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Photographer: Sam Droege, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

A bee of the early morning. Matrinal. Restricted to the southeastern United States deep sand spots where it feeds only in the early morning hours. Very uncommonly recorded now but this one was collected by Sabrie Breland in residual burned longleaf pine lands of Southeastern Georgia.

Collected by one "E.P. Reed" probably about 100 years ago in Central Chile this is from an orphaned collection of bees from the Smithsonian. While in the process of returning we are taking a few pictures of some of the more interesting bees. This is Caupolicana fulvicollis.

Collected by one "E.P. Reed" probably about 100 years ago in Central Chile this is from an orphaned collection of bees from the Smithsonian. While in the process of returning we are taking a few pictures of some of the more interesting bees. This is Caupolicana fulvicollis.

Second in a Series. Centris...the tropical western hemisphere's answer to the Bumblebee. Bumblebees are absent from the Caribbean but bees of the genus Centris are of the same size and shape and fill the same floral niche muscling their way into large tropical flowers.

Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Collected by Dan Kjar

A lovely Centris from Puerto Rico, collected by Sara Prado

Centris haemorrhoidalis - The red-butted bee of Puerto Rico. Another lovely bee from the tropics, sort of a fancy bumble bee in a way. Collected by queen bee of Puerto Rico, Sara Prado. Pictures by Brooke Alexander.

Centris haemorrhoidalis - The red-butted bee of Puerto Rico. Another lovely bee from the tropics, sort of a fancy bumble bee in a way. Collected by queen bee of Puerto Rico, Sara Prado. Pictures by Brooke Alexander.

A series of pictures of a queen and a male of the northernish bumble bee Bombus vagans. Still a reasonable common component of northern Appalachian systems, its been retreating from its lower elevation and southern edges over the last century.

In the female, Bombus vandykei is almost all Black but here in the male it is almost all yellow. Why? Hard to say, but still a common species out West and that question is still available for study. This fellow is from Yosemite National park collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al.

Bombus bifarius, female, Yellowstone National Park, NPS, Wyoming

Bombus occidentalis, female, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park