Tag: backyard bee
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Dunning’s mining bee (Dunning’s miner bee)
Andrenidae > Andrena > Andrena dunningi Dunning’s mining bee (Andrena dunningi) is fond of lazy gardeners: this spring-active species thrives in sunny, unkempt suburban lawns and gardens full of dandelions. It can be distinguished from most other spring-active Andrena by the combination of orange thorax and entirely black abdomen. Phenology Late-March/early-April through May, with latest…
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Rufous-backed cellophane bee (Colletes thoracicus)
Colletidae > Colletes > Colletes thoracicus Rufous-backed cellophane bee (Colletes thoracicus) is the latest of the three spring-flying spring Colletes. This is a “suburban” bee of mid-Atlantic and southern New England states, often occurring in lawns, backyards, and parks. C. thoracicus nests in well-draining soils and is known to associate in massive nesting aggregations that…
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Orange-legged furrow bee (Halictus rubicundus)
Halictidae > Halictus > Halictus rubicundus Orange-legged furrow bee (Halictus rubicundus) is among one of most widespread bee species in the world, occurring frequently in human-disturbed areas. A medium, boldly-striped sweat bee, this species forages on a variety of flowers, though it is generally not encountered as frequently as its more abundant relatives H. ligatus/poeyi.…
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Confusing furrow bee (Halictus confusus)
Halictidae > Halictus > Halictus confusus Confusing furrow bee (Halictus confusus) is distinctive among backyard Halictus for its dark metallic coloration. H. confusus frequents a variety of habitats, including gardens. As such, H. confusus can easily be confused with other garden bees. More often than not, the confusing lookalikes are actually metallic Lasioglossum, not other…