Best bee photo day ever

Perfect sun for better detail on small bees--plus a lot of insects using the chives. There is a native onion nearby on the hill and I wonder if that attracts the same bees. Must keep that in mind for a future informal study next year!

Posted on June 11, 2018 04:54 PM by wenatcheeb wenatcheeb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018

Description

Black and yellow wasp, on Cascara, Rhamnus purshiana.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:40 PM PDT

Description

Long-horned bee (could it be Mellisodes?) on vetch flower.

I spotted this bee, got two photos and it left. This was the only time I saw it (10 years observations around our house) and I have not seen it again.

Photos / Sounds

What

Vetches (Genus Vicia)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:40 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Prong-faced Slender-Mason (Protosmia rubifloris)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:27 AM PDT

Description

Tiny megachilid type with enormous jaws, on cultivated flower. (Photo setting was bumped, so color is off on flowers, which are a pale blue-violet.

Photos / Sounds

What

Prong-faced Slender-Mason (Protosmia rubifloris)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:42 AM PDT

Description

Tiny megachilid with oversized mandibles on chives.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:44 AM PDT

Description

Metallic green, less than 1/2" bee on chives. The small bees were diving down inside the flowers to get the goodies. The eye on this particular bee is magnificent.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Western Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:45 AM PDT

Description

Have seen two of these or one that walked from one side of the house to the other. (Take photo quicker next time!)

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:46 AM PDT

Description

Tiny bee with warm golden tones and light bands on abdomen, light warm green metallic head and thorax, hairy legs.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:48 AM PDT

Description

Bright green, medium sized bee. Might be a male, I don't see scopa?

Photos / Sounds

What

Mason Bees (Genus Osmia)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:52 AM PDT

Description

Bee, shiny dark green abdomen, golden hairs on thorax, interesting eyes. simultaneous visit by a bee fly? On volunteer wallflower.

Photos / Sounds

What

Greater Bee Flies (Genus Bombylius)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:52 AM PDT

Description

Fly was overlooking a bee while it was inside a volunteer wallflower.

Photos / Sounds

What

Bees (Epifamily Anthophila)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:18 AM PDT

Description

Male bee, might have been warming up, as it was sunny, but not that hot yet. He would patrol and then stop on the warm rocks a while. golden hairs on thorax, thin stripes on abdomen, jade green eyes, antennae appear to be translucent brown (maybe dull red?) with darker tips, nice thick mustache.

Photos / Sounds

What

Stem Sawflies (Family Cephidae)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:18 AM PDT

Description

Long thin flying insect, on cultivated geum.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:49 AM PDT

Description

Another metallic green bee. Not sure if this is a repeat specimen, but I think this may be a female with larger mandibles?

Photos / Sounds

What

Small Mason Bees (Genus Hoplitis)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 08:51 AM PDT

Description

Could this also be a Subgenus Synhalonia? Similar hair patches on abdomen, similar coloring, but shorter antennae.

Photos / Sounds

What

Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:23 AM PDT

Description

Sage green hairy thorax, orange on wings, club antennae. On culinary chives.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:24 AM PDT

Description

Ribbed (Michelin Man) type dark abdomen with thin, pale bands at lower edge. On chives.

Photos / Sounds

What

Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:30 AM PDT

Description

Brown and white pattern, feathered edges on wings, on Creeping Thyme.

Photos / Sounds

What

Boisduval's Blue (Icaricia icarioides)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:33 AM PDT

Description

Blues puddling.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:31 AM PDT

Description

Creeping thyme, flowers about 4mm. Small bee has to stand on flower petals to reach anthers' pink pollen.

Photos / Sounds

What

Mining Bees (Genus Andrena)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:36 AM PDT

Description

Golden thorax hairs, dark, metallic abdomen. I think I can see three submarginal cells in wing. On Cascara, Rhamnus purshiana.

Photos / Sounds

What

Bumble Bees (Genus Bombus)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:37 AM PDT

Description

Van Dyke's male?

Photos / Sounds

What

Nomad Bees (Genus Nomada)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:38 AM PDT

Description

Thick medium brown and black antennae, yellow-black-brown striped abdomen, some white hairs, wasp-like shape, on Rhamnus purshiana, Cascara.

Photos / Sounds

What

Great Basin Bumble Bee (Bombus centralis)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:42 AM PDT

Description

Abdomen: T1, T2 yellow, T3, T4, part of T5 red-orange, tail tip black. Long face, yellow hairs on face, scutum, scutellum. on Rhamnus purshiana, Cascara tree.

Photos / Sounds

What

Furrow Bees (Genus Halictus)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 10:44 AM PDT

Description

Small bee, striped abdomen, on Rhamnus purshiana.

Photos / Sounds

What

Small Mason Bees (Genus Hoplitis)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:27 AM PDT

Description

Straw-colored face & thorax, black abdomen with some straw colored stripes, aqua green eyes, on Rhamnus purshiana, Cascara.

Photos / Sounds

What

Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps (Suborder Symphyta)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:30 AM PDT

Description

Yellow and black wasp on Salix scouleriana, Scouler's willow. It was eating up tiny creatures (aphids?) as it worked its way around the leaf.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:29 AM PDT

Description

Spider with silk attached.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:32 AM PDT

Description

Pale yellow crab spider with birghter yellow legs, ready to grab a victim, on ceonothus.

Photos / Sounds

What

Beetles (Order Coleoptera)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:33 AM PDT

Description

many small beetles on Arrowleaf Balsamroot.

Photos / Sounds

What

Larkspurs (Genus Delphinium)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:34 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Ballhead Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:35 AM PDT

Description

Seeds forming.

Photos / Sounds

What

Smallflower Woodland Star (Lithophragma parviflorum)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:34 AM PDT

Description

I mostly have Bulbous Woodland-Star, but I think this may be another type.

Photos / Sounds

What

Mason Bees (Genus Osmia)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:36 AM PDT

Description

Small green bee on Arrowleaf Balsamroot.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:55 AM PDT

Description

Mason bee building home in post that has mortar holding stones to plywood box beneath. View 1 seems to show something in bee's mandibles.

Photos / Sounds

What

Bees (Epifamily Anthophila)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:55 AM PDT

Description

Green bees were investigating these holes. Only the one posted previous to this seems to have used any of the holes on this porch post. I did put out a bee hotel and got one of those holes filled, but not these. This set is on the north side of the post where morning light hits the stones, but not the nests under the capstone.

Photos / Sounds

What

Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 11:58 AM PDT

Description

This is a combination. If I remember correctly I saw a wasp place a couple tubes perpendicular to the one that is most recognizable in this photo. They hatched out sometime the next year. Then something made a nest in those holes and it seems it might be a leafcutter bee, as there is what looks like plant material in the hold left of center. I think there were two or three holes filled like that. Then another nest was built across those, blocking them in. See June 12, 2018, as there are holes in these that indicate something hatched and cut its way out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Snakeflies (Genus Agulla)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:21 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Flower Longhorn Beetles (Subfamily Lepturinae)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:26 PM PDT

Description

Two black beetles mating, on lupine.

Photos / Sounds

What

Flower Longhorn Beetles (Subfamily Lepturinae)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:25 PM PDT

Description

Beetle on lupine buds, then it walked down onto the leaf.

Photos / Sounds

What

Chalcidoid Wasps (Superfamily Chalcidoidea)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:31 PM PDT

Description

Two very small green metallic winged bees or wasps on lupine leaf.

Photos / Sounds

What

Chalcidoid Wasps (Superfamily Chalcidoidea)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:33 PM PDT

Description

Better able to tell it is not a bee here. Very small metallic green wasp on lupine leaf. Possibly same as pair of wasps in other post same date.

Photos / Sounds

What

Flower Longhorn Beetles (Subfamily Lepturinae)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:32 PM PDT

Description

One more beetle, same as other two observations to give more details. Different individual on open lupine blossom.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:39 PM PDT

Description

Upside-down yellow t-shape on face. Hyleaus or ceratina?

Photos / Sounds

What

Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus verbasci)

Observer

wenatcheeb

Date

May 12, 2018 02:45 PM PDT

Description

Shaped somewhat similar to Lady beetle, but with brown, splotchy pattern. On sand cherry. probably less than 1/4" long, small anyway.

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