Native bees and wasps

[Fritillary]

Stan's made a few more for me just with various drill bit sizes. Getting attention already.

How deep does he drill the holes please Dani?
(Must make some here)

 

[Erichalfbee]

They say the depth varies with diameter of holes but for our bees I reckon the same depth suits. 3 to 5 inches.

 

[kazmcc]

A few photos around the bee house and plants nearby.

Lovely photos.

1 - Osmia bicornis female
2 + 3 - Osmia caerulescens female, the blue metallic sheen to the cuticle isn't always obvious in certain light but I can just make out a hint of it in image 3.
4 - Osmia bicornis female
5 - Osmia caerulescens female again
6 - Sapyga quinquepunctata female as Dani says. Lovely wasps.
7 - Megachile sp male

 

[Swarm]

Thanks Kaz
2 and 5 were half the size of 3, quite tiny.

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks Kaz
2 and 5 were half the size of 3, quite tiny.

Can I copy a couple of the images and get one of my expert friends to look? Osmia caerulescens is a very small bee and there are a couple of larger, very similar species that visit bee hotels too that are not as common that I'd like to check for.

 

[Swarm]

Help yourself Kaz, no need to ask any time. The larger one was closer to honey bee size if it helps.

 

[kazmcc]

Yep all Osmia caerulescens females. Size can vary somewhat.

 

[Swarm]

What a day today!
Here are some more, couldn't resist the Bumble on the Geum

 

[kazmcc]

Image 8 lovely shock of orange pollen collecting hairs right to the tip of the abdomen so Megachile centunularis female.

Image 9 I can see some grey hairs peeping out at the top of the abdomen so Megachile ligniseca female for that one.

Image 10 & 11 a Bombus pratorum male. Little flying teddy bears.

Lovely set. Been looking out for the Megachile here but nothing yet. Did find a male of their cuckoo earlier though. I get both of the Megachile above in my garden. I love the way they hold their abdomen while foraging. Gorgeous bees.

 

[Swarm]

She was bringing in bits of leaf but I failed to catch a good shot. We get lots of these little leaf cutters and they really love Francis. E. Lester, it's beginning to flower now but the leaves are still intact for the moment.

 

[kazmcc]

They love the ragwort in my garden but it's not out yet. Ornamental one is flowering just but my wild plants still have a way to go.

 

[masterBK]

Leaf cutter Bee (photo taken by a member of my BKA)

 

[kazmcc]

Leaf cutter Bee (photo taken by a member of my BKA)

Lovely. A Megachile willughbiella female.

 

[StephenT]

Spotted this Bumblebee carrying a good number of mites in the garden yesterday. It was at the top end size wise of Bumblebees I have seen. You can just see it's tail which looks buff coloured rather than white. Could it be a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee?

 

[kazmcc]

Spotted this Bumblebee carrying a good number of mites in the garden yesterday. It was at the top end size wise of Bumblebees I have seen. You can just see it's tail which looks buff coloured rather than white. Could it be a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee?

Bombus vestalis female. You can see the yellow flashes above the white tail. Buff tails can often have a faint buff line above a white tail sometimes in workers but never this amount. This species is a cuckoo of Bombus terrestris - buff tails.

The mites don't feed from the bee directly, the cling to the hairs then drop off when a nest is found where they live on nest debris, so very good for bumblebees. They hang around flowers where they pile on as the bee feeds and will often over-winter with autumn queens and stay with her until she emerges and starts her nest.

 

[StephenT]

Bombus vestalis female. You can see the yellow flashes above the white tail. Buff tails can often have a faint buff line above a white tail sometimes in workers but never this amount. This species is a cuckoo of Bombus terrestris - buff tails.

Thanks for the ID. I didn't realise that there were Cuckoo Bumblebees although I was a bit shocked that it kills the Buff Tail queen and gets the workers to raise its own offspring.

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks for the ID. I didn't realise that there were Cuckoo Bumblebees although I was a bit shocked that it kills the Buff Tail queen and gets the workers to raise its own offspring.

Any time The cuckoos are some of my favourite bees. We have a number of solitary cuckoo species too. Fascinating life cycles. Love a sneaky bee

 

[StephenT]

Was out fishing today and little beauty landed on my jeans, had a good old clean and then flew off. It looks like a bee to me but I can't id it. Anyone know?

 

[monarda]

Was out fishing today and little beauty landed on my jeans, had a good old clean and then flew off. It looks like a bee to me but I can't id it. Anyone know?

Could be one of the Melitta ( blunthorn ) bees , someone who knows about such things will give you a more informed answer I'm sure. Did you catch?
Tight lines and screaming reels-Dave

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm sure Kaz will be along later.