Images

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

Virginia, front Royal Smithsonian project collected in northwest Virginia. A specialist on native thistles, in particular their pollen. This species is vulnerable 2 thistle control measures of the introduced bull and Canada Thistle species. the native species also disappear from areas where control eliminates all thistle.

Captured in Southeast Virginia by students at Old Dominion University. Note that this specimens conforms to more interior specimens but has much less extensive presence of dark hairs on the Mesepisternum.

There are many species of Melissodes and as you can see from this male, they aren't called Long-horn Bees for nothing. All or almost all of these species are summer to fall bees and most are fond to very fond of flowers in the Asteraceae family ... the fall composites by other names.

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.

A first state record for South Carolina. This is the uncommon Melissodes manipularis. Its a male as you can tell by the very long antennae. This bee was collected as part of a survey of coastal Spring Island by Merle Shepherd and compatriots.

Here is a Melissodes from Pulaski County, Virginia collected at the Radford Munitions Plant which is kept in high quality grasslands because they are good stewards.

Here is a Melissodes from Pulaski County, Virginia collected at the Radford Munitions Plant which is kept in high quality grasslands because they are good stewards.

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.

Jasper County, South Carolina, right across from Savannah Georgia sits Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. A refuge of dikes around huge old rice fields that now grow ducks and other marshlings. A few bees occur here, but diversity is pretty low as this is not so much a natural, but a managed habitat.

Jasper County, South Carolina, right across from Savannah Georgia sits Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. A refuge of dikes around huge old rice fields that now grow ducks and other marshlings. A few bees occur here, but diversity is pretty low as this is not so much a natural, but a managed habitat.

A bit of a mysterious species. Almost all of the records are ancient with almost no recent records. Here is a recent one though. This is from a study of Florida coastal dune bee communites by Anthony Abbate...who should be getting his Master's degree out of this any day. This one found in Broward County.

A bit of a mysterious species. Almost all of the records are ancient with almost no recent records. Here is a recent one though. This is from a study of Florida coastal dune bee communites by Anthony Abbate...who should be getting his Master's degree out of this any day. This one found in Broward County.

A bit of a mysterious species. Almost all of the records are ancient with almost no recent records. Here is a recent one though. This is from a study of Florida coastal dune bee communites by Anthony Abbate...who should be getting his Master's degree out of this any day. This one found in Broward County.

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Long Horn. The males of all the genera within the Eucerini clan (at least all the ones I can think of) have very long antennae. These are fast flying lovers of perennials. This particular one (Melissodes trinodis) favors things in the sunflower arena, big, open, tall flowers.

Long Horn. The males of all the genera within the Eucerini clan (at least all the ones I can think of) have very long antennae. These are fast flying lovers of perennials. This particular one (Melissodes trinodis) favors things in the sunflower arena, big, open, tall flowers.