Images

From Kenya comes one of the many flavors of Megachile...or leaf cutting bees, though this species likely does not cut leaves as you can see from the lack of cutting edges on its mandibles, more likely its paddle like mandibles are made for moving mud around.

From Kenya comes one of the many flavors of Megachile...or leaf cutting bees, though this species likely does not cut leaves as you can see from the lack of cutting edges on its mandibles, more likely its paddle like mandibles are made for moving mud around.

Kruger Park! South Africa! This is the first specimen we have put up from our recent trip to survey bees in Kruger. At this point I am incompetent to tell the species apart (there are no field guides to bees Citizen), but I can tell you this is a Megachile in what appears to be the subgenus Eutricharaea.

Unknown Megachile Species from the Dominican Republic

Found in Urban Baltimore, Armistead Gardens

Found in Urban Baltimore, Armistead Gardens

The all black Leaf-Cutter, Megachile xylocopoides, this one found in Florida. The species is found in the East and seems to be gradually invading its way to the North...Picture by Amber Reese and photoshopping by Dejen Mengis.

As you can see from the tattered edges of the wings...this is an old bee, meaning it has been out and about for about 5 weeks. This is also a male, one could count the antennal segments (13 in males, 12 in females) but you can also tell by the greatly expanded white front legs, these are used to cover the females eyes during mating....

Megachile brevis, Female, Maryland, Kent County

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

Megachile campanulae, Allegany Count, MD, May 2012

Megachile furgalis, female, Western Maryland, July 2012

Megachile gemula, male. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

Megachile lanata, male, Hawaii, Oahu, represents a new species for the islands in the Pacific, originally from Africa, now widespread in the Caribbean, March 2012

Megachile lanata, male, Hawaii, Oahu, represents a new species for the islands in the Pacific, originally from Africa, now widespread in the Caribbean, March 2012

Megachile-parallela,-side

Megachile relativa, female, Allegany County, Maryland, May 2012

Megachile sculpturalis, Maryland, Cumberland, Allegany County

Megachile timberlakei, Hawaii, Oahu, March 2012

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.

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.