Category: Agapostemon

• Nick’s 2024 Holiday Calendar

  

  Every year, I make a holiday calendar for my family and friends of my nature photography. For the past few years, as my obsession with bees has deepened, my calendars have naturally featured photos of wild bees almost exclusively (surprise, surprise). One consistent piece of feedback that I have received from recipients is that they…

  Bee Watching

  December 19, 2023

  Agapostemon, Andrena, Uncategorized

• Agapostemon

  Agapostemon are a group of stocky, metallic green bees. With a bit of practice, females of all four species in eastern North America are field identifiable, though males can pose more of a challenge. This group is widespread and commonly found in a variety of habitats, including backyards and gardens. Agapostemon often land on flowers…

  Bee Watching

  January 9, 2023

  Agapostemon, Backyard Bees, Genus page

  genus

• Brown-winged striped sweat bee (Agapostemon splendens)

  Halictidae > Agapostemon > Agapostemon splendens No trip to the beach would be complete without spotting brown-winged striped-sweat bees (Agapostemon splendens) on asters in the dunes. The largest of eastern Agapostemon, this species is strongly associated with sand, and both males and females are distinctive in the field.   Phenology Active from late spring through…

  Bee Watching

  March 15, 2022

  Agapostemon, Backyard Bees, Fall Bees, Species Page, Summer Bees

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• Bicolored striped sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens)

  Halictidae > Agapostemon > Agapostemon virescens Bicolored striped-sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) is your gateway into bee watching. This quintessential backyard bee is found throughout the northeast in backyards and gardens on purple coneflower (Echinacea) and sunflowers (Helianthus), and is known to nest in open areas in turf lawns. Females are distinctive with a metallic green…

  Bee Watching

  March 15, 2022

  Agapostemon, Backyard Bees, Fall Bees, Species Page, Summer Bees

  Agapostemon, Agapostemon virescens, asters, backyard bee, fall, goldenrods, green bee, metallic, shiny

• Silky striped sweat bee (Agapostemon sericeus)

  Halictidae > Agapostemon > Agapostemon sericeus Silky striped-sweat bee (Agapostemon sericeus) is a backyard Agapostemon, often found alongside A. virescens. Females are exquisite: metallic green with silver abdominal bands that glisten in the sun. A. sericeus are field-identifiable, with a bit of practice and a camera or hand lens: their unevenly rough-textured thorax is unique…

  Bee Watching

  March 15, 2022

  Agapostemon, Backyard Bees, Fall Bees, Species Page, Summer Bees

  agapostemon sericeus, backyard bee, green bee, metallic, metallic green bee, sand, shiny