Tag: backyard bee
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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…
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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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Megachile
Megachile is a widespread and highly diverse genus of bees. They range in size from about one-quarter the size of a honey bee, to nearly twice as large. Megachile females transport pollen beneath their abdomens (often holding up their abdomens while foraging). They are united by their varied nesting strategies. Females build linear nests that…
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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…
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Colletes
Colletes are small to medium-sized bees with strong abdominal banding. They are named for the thin cellophane-like lining that they use to line brood cells. Colletes in our area range from common garden bees to species so rare they are practically unknown to science. All Colletes nest in the ground – a few species form…
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Lasioglossum
It’s no wonder that Lasioglossum are often perceived as an identification quagmire by even seasoned bee taxonomists: there are many species of these small metallic bees, most are not as distinctly patterned to the naked eye as other species in the region, and their habitat associations are, for the most part, poorly known. Many of…
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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…
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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…
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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…