Tag: colletes

• 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…

  Bee Watching

  January 9, 2023

  Colletes, Genus page, Spring Bees

  backyard bee, cellophane bee, colletes, genus

• Blueberry cellophane bee (Colletes validus)

  Colletidae > Colletes > Colletes validus Blueberry cellophane bee (Colletes validus) is never found far from sand and blueberries. Both males and females have an exaggerated malar space, which enables them to access the deep goblet-shaped flowers of their favorite ericaceous plants, including blueberry (Vaccinium), huckleberry (Gaylusaccia), and bearberry (Arctostaphylos). When conditions are right, this…

  Bee Watching

  January 8, 2023

  Colletes, Specialists, Species Page, Spring Bees

  blueberry, cellophane bee, colletes, Colletes validus, pine barrens, polyester bee, sand, spring

• 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…

  Bee Watching

  March 14, 2022

  Backyard Bees, Colletes, Species Page, Spring Bees

  backyard bee, cellophane bee, colletes, colletes thoracicus, forest, orange bees, polyester bee, sand, spring