Category: Species Page
-
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…
-
Blueberry digger bee (Habropoda laboriosa)
Apidae > Habropoda > Habropoda laboriosa The blueberry digger bee (Habropoda laboriosa) is a common and economically-significant visitor to blueberry throughout the southeast. While its primary natural habitat of pine barrens is threatened by development and fire suppression, H. laboriosa appears to be flexible in its habitat preferences and frequently occurs in suburban and semi-urban…
-
Hibiscus turret bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis)
Apidae > Ptilothrix > Ptilothrix bombiformis Hibiscus turret bees (Ptilothrix bombiformis) does a great job mimicking bumble bees in appearance, but it couldn’t be more different when it comes to nesting. This solitary bee digs thrives in compacted soils near wetlands such as levees, walking paths, and parking lots. Remarkably, females skate on top of…
-
Orange-tipped wood-digger bee (Anthophora terminalis)
Apidae > Anthophora > Anthophora terminalis Orange-tipped wood-digger bee (Anthophora terminalis) is a distinctive, fast-flying solitary bee of backyards and gardens. From a distance, it resembles a bumble bee worker, but is smaller and grayer, and frequently hovers in front of tubular flowers. Its namesake orange-tipped abdomen can be hard to get a good look…
-
Thistle longhorn bee (Melissodes desponsus)
Apidae > Melissodes > Melissodes desponsus Eastern thistle longhorn bee (Melissodes desponsus) can be found buried deep in the frills of a thistle. This late-summer longhorn bee is always found close to its thistle (Cirsium spp.) host plants. Females are large and robust, with a pale thorax and all-black abdomen, but don’t be fooled into…
-
Hoary squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa)
Apidae > Peponapis > Peponapis pruinosa Pruinose squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa) is one of the most common vegetable garden pollinators in the northeast. With a bright orange thorax and protruding clypeus, males and females are distinctive among regional eucerines. For P. pruinosa, the early bee gets the pollen: females are active very early in the…
-
Drury’s longhorn bee (Melissodes druriellus)
Apidae > Melissodes > Melissodes druriellus Drury’s longhorn bee (Melissodes druriellus) is yet another player in the marvelous theater of goldenrods and asters. Females have a distinctive “banded” thorax created by a cinnamon stripe on the apical half. Look for these bees in August and September, but you’ll have to be fast to catch a…
-
Two-spotted longhorn bee (Melissodes bimaculatus)
Apidae > Melissodes > Melissodes bimaculatus Two-spotted longhorn bee (Melissodes bimaculatus) is one of the most distinctive bees in the northeast. Jet-black, with a zippy flight, and a tendency to visit common garden plants, M. bimaculatus is straightforward to find and identify in summer. Intriguingly, this species has a penchant for foraging on common agricultural…
-
Cloudy-winged mining bee (Andrena nubecula)
Andrenidae > Andrena > Andrena nubecula Cloudy-winged mining bee (Andrena nubecula) is a sure sign of fall. This dark slender mining bee is primarily found on goldenrods in old fields, meadows, and suburban gardens adjacent to forests. Look for a medium-sized bee, with smoky wings held out at an angle, and armpits full of orange…
-
Bradley’s mining bee (Andrena bradleyi)
Andrenidae > Andrena > Andrena bradleyi Bradley’s mining bee (Andrena bradleyi) is a diminutive bee of ericaceous shrublands, pine barrens, and blueberry fields. This common, spring-active species has a conspicuously long face which is useful for accessing nectar from the deep goblet-shaped flowers of their host plants. Phenology One generation per year, active from late-March…