Category: Exotic
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Sculptured resin bee (Megachile sculpturalis)
Megachilidae > Megachile > Megachile sculpturalis Even to the novice observer, sculptured resin bee (Megachile sculpturalis) is hard to miss. These large, loud, exotic megachilids hardly are closer in size to a small dragonfly than to most other bees in the region. It has been highly successful in human-disturbed landscapes, where it’s drawn to numerous…
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Oblong woolcarder bee (Anthidium oblongatum)
Megachilidae > Anthidium > Anthidium oblongatum Oblong woolcarder bee (Anthidium oblongatum) thrives in human-disturbed landscapes like roadsides, backyards, and the margins of agricultural fields. This exotic anthidiine has a strong preference for exotic legumes like birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and crownvetch (Securigera varia). This bee is distinctive with a squat build, green eyes, orange tegulae,…
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European woolcarder bee (Anthidium manicatum)
Megachilidae > Anthidium > Anthidium manicatum European wool-carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) is a highly conspicuous bee of gardens and disturbed habitats. A. manicatum is stocky, with bold black-and-yellow patterning along the abdomen and yellow legs. Large males defend territories by patrolling patches of flowers and using abdominal spines to assault intruders of similar size like…
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Horn-faced/Taurus mason bee (Osmia cornifrons/taurus)
Megachilidae > Osmia > Osmia cornifrons / Osmia taurus Horn-faced mason bee (Osmia cornifrons) and Taurus mason bee (Osmia taurus) are two similar nonnative Osmia. Both have spread rapidly throughout eastern North America in recent decades since their introduction as potential fruit tree pollinators in the 1980s. These species have proliferated in human-altered habitats, raising…
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Apis
Apis is the genus of honey bees, represented by a single species in North America Apis mellifera. Worldwide, the six species of Apis all form eusocial, perennial colonies with egg-laying queens and non-reproductive female workers. Few feral colonies of A. mellifera exist in our region; most honey bees colonies are kept by beekeepers. Given that…
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Wilke’s mining bee (Andrena wilkella)
Andrenidae > Andrena > Andrena wilkella Wilke’s mining bee (Andrena wilkella) is a summer bee of lawns and farm fields. You typically find males and females foraging on clovers and vetches. A. wilkella is notable because it is active at a time of year when relatively few other Andrena are flying. It is also unusual…