I think, but will check voucher. Big and bidentate, with spots on t2 and t3. Also seemed to me that maculae on tergites are rather pale & not as yellow as maculata. We definitely picked up some Melandrena here - if we got any that weren't carlini, they would've been vicina or nivalis (can check)
something in the realm of Nomada erythraea; seems there are a bunch of little reddish species described from the west that supposedly differ mostly in specifics of color patterns, but that can be dicey with Nomada
would seem to be the parasite of the smaller Andrena we had out here
Oro Vista Park
Definitely one of the coolest bees I've ever seen. There were a few of these on the phacelia. I didn't check all the different phacelia plants for them but one of the plants had several on them.
On purple sage (Salvia dorrii).
On spent yarrow.
Among the blooming desert peaches, there were many pollinators, especially butterflies and bees buzzing around. I caught sight of these 2 larger bees - seem to be mating BUT I am quite sure they are different species. I wonder how often/rarely this occurs (interspecies mating), if this is what happened.
Coldstream Trail, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park CA
On Southern Checkerbloom
super tiny, golden, pumila ? (covered in mites)
2023 Secrest/ORIP: 6B (second)
Any ID help welcome!
Lasioglossum (Dialictus) pilosum (Smith)
CANADA, ON Ancaster
43.2160°N, 80.0174°W
24.ix.2014, S.Irazuzta
MACBio20140924.3.35
Lasioglossum pilosum ♂
From Gibbs 2010
Male L. pilosum can be recognised by head long (length/width ratio = 1.13–1.17); eyes strongly convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.35–1.64); clypeus yellow distally; mesoscutal punctures very dense, contiguous medially; metapostnotum rugoso-carinulate; and metasomal terga metallic, punctures dense and distinct. They are most similar to L. floridanum, L. leucocomum and L. succinipenne. Male L. floridanum have weak metapostnotal rugae and usually lack a clypeal maculation. Male L. leucocomum have sparser mesoscutal punctures medially. Male L. succinipenne have punctures visible on the mesepisternum.
Bee 4, in hole, came out then flew.
I watched two of these insects digging in the dirt below small rocks, on the uphill trail, right before Mitchell Rock, Mount Diablo State Park. The second image is of the the bee turning its body 360º (top to bottom). This insect appeared to match Blue-and-black Mining Bee (Andrena nigrocaerulea), but I have no knowledge of what other species may be considered.
On golden yarrow. Could just be a Western honey bee.
Solitary bee resting in a Douglas' meadowfoam about an hour before sunset.
On Common Yarrow
Small wasp, about 6 mm long, clinging to a blade of grass with its jaws on a cool, overcast misty morning, too cold to fly.
Jackrabbit Flat Wildlife Sanctuary
On the creosote bush near the entrance sign. There was intense competition for flowers and I couldn't manage to get photos of any other species than this though I am sure there were multiple species. I did see several of these
Brief sampling of arthropods in Hummingbird Habitat corner of Desert Breeze Park. On creosote bush.
on Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida (Caterpillar Phacelia)
might be Eucera lunata...tbd
Vallecito County Park Campground. On Creosote.
On Creosote.
Desert Tortoise Natural Area
Very cool bee on creosote bush
Tumamoc Hill, The Desert Laboratory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.
Historically, the eastern creosote bush flats (between two washes) has been rather consistently the nesting aggregation and emergence sites of Centris pallida for decades.
I saw metanders (large male morphs) at this site again on May 10, 2023 searching for micro sites to dig for females. However, this was not a good year. Some years, this area (perhaps 10 hectares) contains many thousands, even tens of thousands, of searching and patrolling males, mating pairs and nesting females.
Meghan Barrett conducted some of her C. pallida thermal biology Ph.D. studies (Drexel Univ.) here in 2018 and 2019. Buchmann has also worked onsite with cinematographer Keith Brush to film mating behavior, and with still photographer Dr. Bruce Taubert.
Historical (recent) bee emergence dates at this TH site have been:
14 April - 8 May 2016
24 April - 4 May, 2018
13 April - 29 April, 2019
Climate change:
Interestingly, Centris pallida emergence dates (Tumamoc Hill, Blue Pt. Bridge recreation area along the Salt River) in the 1970's and 1980's were strongly at the tail end of April, or early May. Today, we expect to see these bees emerging about 10 days earlier.
*Note- photographs of Centris pallida adults and brood cell courtesy of Dr. Bruce Taubert. Please DO NOT reuse without permission.
Likely osmia based on flight and behavior, more than a few visiting this cherry tree.
I saw this bee sitting in the middle of a lily flower all day, rubbing all over the stamens. Since I couldn't see it very well, I actually thought it was a honeybee that couldn't climb back up (we get a lot of injured and sick ones around here), so I tipped it over to free it. Once out, it went absolutely NUTS, and was obsessed with the flashlight. I was able to finally guide it back to its flower using the light, and it seemed content again.
Link to bugguide id: https://bugguide.net/node/view/2257867#3656662
On Encelia californica
More than one individual photographed in the same immediate location, all foraging on Pincushion Plants (Navarretia sp ).
Escondido, CA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
P6070270
very fast and dove into the flowers so very hard to get photo of it on the plant. But thank heavens it landed next to it and took a break
on Bahiopsis laciniata (Tornleaf Goldeneye)