Tag: summer
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Half-black/Sanderson’s bumble bee (Bombus vagans/sandersoni)
Apidae > Bombus > Bombus vagans / Bombus sandersoni Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans) and Sanderson’s bumble bee (Bombus sandersoni) are two forest-associated bumble bees with similar patterning. Both species have long, messy light-yellow hairs on the top half of the abdomen, though some individuals of B. sandersoni deviate considerably from this standard color pattern.…
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Tricolored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius)
Apidae > Bombus > Bombus ternarius Tricolored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius) is hard to miss. Its striking black, yellow, and orange patterning separates are more reminiscent of bumble bees of the western United States than most of our eastern fauna. B. ternarius is widespread, common, and particularly adaptable in suburban and urban areas, though it…
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Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus)
Apidae > Bombus > Bombus perplexus Despite its name, perplexing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus) doesn’t have to be an identification quagmire. In particular, the distinctive dark-gold color of most individuals and black underwings sets them apart from the superficially similar species pair B. vagans/sandersoni. While B. perplexus does turn up in urban areas, you’re probably…
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Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus)
Apidae > Bombus > Bombus bimaculatus Two-spotted bumble bees (Bombus bimaculatus) carry spring on their wings. Queens are often among the first bumble bees seen each year, taking advantage of a pulse of forage in the forest canopy and spring ephemerals in the understory. Colonies grow and senesce quickly, producing the earliest reproductive after less…
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Black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus)
Apidae > Bombus > Bombus auricomus Black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) often yields exclamations about its size compared to other bees. These large, striking bumble bees are hard to miss, and are often heard before they are seen. Queens emerge late in the year, and found small nests that senesce quickly; new gynes are seen…
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European honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Apidae > Apis > Apis mellifera There are few habitats in northeastern North America where one can escape the reach of the hyper-abundant exotic European honey bee (Apis mellifera). Contrary to popular impression, honey bees are not chubby and black-and-yellow-striped, but rather slender, with golden tones along abdomen. For the most part in the northeast,…
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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…
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Coelioxys
Coelioxys are nest parasites of Megachile and, like their hosts, can be found in a variety of fairly open habitats from late spring through fall. Some of the dozen or so species found in our area are common garden bees, while a few are exceedingly rare. Female Coelioxys use their pointed abdomens to slice open…
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Pseudoanthidium
Pseudoanthidium are tiny, compact anthidiines, with only a single exotic member of the genus found eastern North America. P. nanum is distinctively marked in black and whitish-yellow, with bright orange legs. This Eurasian species was first spotted in New Jersey in 2008 and has since spread throughout the region. Pseudoanthidium are particularly fond of urban…
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Paranthidium
Paranthidium are tiny, compact anthidiines, with only a single member of the genus in eastern North America. They are ground-nesting, either digging their own tunnels or co-opting the abandoned tunnels of other bees, and line their nests with plant resins and occasionally pebbles. Our sole northeastern species, P. jugatorium, prefers medium-sized yellow composites like Helianthus…