Images

Is the scientific name implies (helianthus = sunflowers), Andrena helianthi is a sunflower specialist. Not just the annual sunflower, commonly now raised to produce sunflower seed and sunflower oil, but also the many species of perennials and flowers, which are well deserving of spots in our gardens.

Sunflowers. Specifically, the genus Helianthus to separate out the other "sunflower" plants. Only found in North America. So tall and glorious that we have adopted many for our gardens. Thrusting skyward they telegraph their supply of pollen and nectar to the bees that only feed their young pollen of Sunflower. Here is one of them. The appropriately named A.

Sunflowers. Specifically, the genus Helianthus to separate out the other "sunflower" plants. Only found in North America. So tall and glorious that we have adopted many for our gardens. Thrusting skyward they telegraph their supply of pollen and nectar to the bees that only feed their young pollen of Sunflower. Here is one of them. The appropriately named A.

Sunflowers. Specifically, the genus Helianthus to separate out the other "sunflower" plants. Only found in North America. So tall and glorious that we have adopted many for our gardens. Thrusting skyward they telegraph their supply of pollen and nectar to the bees that only feed their young pollen of Sunflower. Here is one of them. The appropriately named A.

Another uncommon Andrena bee in the subgenus Trachandrena, this one seems to favor wooded areas. Formerly little known in the state, it is now recorded in 11 counties. Photography by Hannah Sutton.

Maryland, Anne Arundel County

Maryland, Anne Arundel County

Yet another! Large Melandrena species from the Eastern United States. The males are particularly difficult to tell apart. This one come from the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina.

Andrena hippotes is another Andrena in the Tracandrena subgenus. It does have the distinctive feature, at least in the East, of having orange legs, which helped separated out from the other Tracandrena species. However, like many of these colorations and markings in bees, it is likely to sometimes not be there.

Photo by Brooke Alexander.

Andrena hippotes, 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 hybrida: A small bee from the Grecian Isles, ...interesting in that unlike the hundreds of others of its Andrena kinfolk, rather than appearing all black has the size, shape, and coloration of a several species of cleptoparasitic bees who have red abdomens. Why is that?

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 Illini. Named after the University of Illinois football team by Wally LaBerge. While he was one of the great taxonomy experts that we recently lost. He was a specialist in Andrena and Melissodes and dabbled in several other genera of bees.

Andrena illinoiensis, South Dakota, Badlands National Park,

Andrena illinoiensis, South Dakota, Badlands National Park,

Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Andrena krigiana

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