Category: Backyard Bees
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Black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus)
Apidae > Bombus > Bombus auricomus Black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) often yields exclamations about its size compared to other bees. These large, striking bumble bees are hard to miss, and are often heard before they are seen. Queens emerge late in the year, and found small nests that senesce quickly; new gynes are seen…
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Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica)
Apidae > Xylocopa > Xylocopa virginica Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) is perhaps one of the most widely-recognized bees in our region. Males’ bossy attitude and females’ penchant for chewing into wooden decks makes them difficult to ignore. Note black glossy abdomen to separate from bumble bee queens at a glance. Human-disturbed environments suit carpenter…
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Lunate longhorn-cuckoo bee (Triepeolus lunatus)
Apidae > Triepeolus > Triepeolus lunatus Lunate longhorn-cuckoo (Triepeolus lunatus) is a distinctive cuckoo bee of agricultural fields, gardens, and cities. It is active in summer, well-timed to co-occur with its presumed eucerine host Melissodes bimaculatus. T. lunatus has a preference for nectar from summer-blooming Asteraceae in the garden like black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia) and coneflowers…
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European honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Apidae > Apis > Apis mellifera There are few habitats in northeastern North America where one can escape the reach of the hyper-abundant exotic European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Contrary to popular impression, honey bees are not chubby and black-and-yellow-striped, but rather slender, with golden tones along abdomen. For the most part in the northeast,…
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Chimney bee (Anthophora abrupta)
Apidae > Anthophora > Anthophora abrupta Don’t worry if you have to do a double-take: abrupt chimney bees (Anthophora abrupta) can fool even the most seasoned bee watchers. This fast-flying Bombus-mimic is active in mid-summer where it occurs in both rural and suburban landscapes. Unlike bumble bees, however, A. abrupta have brush-like scopae on their…
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Bombus
Few other bees are as well-known and as beloved as bumble bees. These hairy, rotund bees are represented by nearly 60 species in the US, about 20 of which can be found in our region. Bumble bees form annual, social colonies which begins each spring with a queen and grows throughout the summer with help…
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Apis
Apis is the genus of honey bees – out of six species in the world, only Apis mellifera, the European Honey Bee, can be found in North America. All Apis form highly social, perennial colonies with a strong division of labor between egg-laying queens and non-reproductive female workers. Few feral colonies of A. mellifera exist…
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Anthidium
Anthidium love gardens. Three species of these strongly-marked yellow and black bees have spread widely in the cities and suburbs of North America since being accidentally introduced from Europe in the 20th century. Anthidium nest above ground, either in plant stems or in cavities in trees, walls, or even buildings. Although named for their habit…
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Pseudoanthidium
Pseudoanthidium are tiny, compact anthidiines, with only a single exotic member of the genus found eastern North America. P. nanum is distinctively marked in black and whitish-yellow, with bright orange legs. This Eurasian species was first spotted in New Jersey in 2008 and has since spread throughout the region. Pseudoanthidium are particularly fond of urban…
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Hylaeus
Hylaeus are tiny colletid bees that are more wasp-like than bee-like. Their common name (“masked bees”) reflects the strong yellow and white markings often present on their faces – the shape and arrangement of these markings is often helpful for identification. All species nest above ground in cavities and, like all colletids, they line their…