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Bee Photography Thread


171 replies to this topic

#41 Online ANTdrew - Posted June 18 2021 - 5:57 AM

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Yeah, he’s local to me and a really cool dude, basically the Indiana Jones of native bees. I want to be him if and when I grow up.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#42 Online ANTdrew - Posted June 18 2021 - 9:46 AM

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Male Bombus bimaculatus feeding on Monarda fistulosa:
IMG 0127

 

This is an uncommon color morph with extra yellow banding on the gaster.


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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#43 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 18 2021 - 10:37 AM

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Nice shot (y)



#44 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 24 2021 - 9:51 AM

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I don’t think I have a lot of species diversity in my yard. It’s actually hard to tell since according to iNaturalist (but curiously not BeeWatch)  I seem to suck at bee speciation too :facepalm: Anyway, I’m trying to capture bees in flight. My ID’ing impediment aside, I think this is Bombus impatiens
 

B18B168B C966 4534 8E65 5E3510D10A27
 
 
Because of the yellow hair on its first tergum, I think this is Bombus bimaculatus 
 
BBA7358E E6F5 4BB5 87B2 5C59BA6F788A
 
 
and this is Apis melifera
 
C5DCD37F 2BE0 4F90 A167 3BB275D70F00

 

 
 
 
 

 


Edited by ConcordAntman, June 24 2021 - 9:52 AM.

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#45 Online ANTdrew - Posted June 24 2021 - 12:01 PM

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That’s a Bombus bimaculatus male. If you want to increase bumble bee diversity try adding more native plants that are good sources of pollen like native roses, Baptisia, and partridge pea. Native thistles and Monardas will really draw them in, too!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#46 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 25 2021 - 4:02 AM

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That’s a Bombus bimaculatus male. If you want to increase bumble bee diversity try adding more native plants that are good sources of pollen like native roses, Baptisia, and partridge pea. Native thistles and Monardas will really draw them in, too!

Ha! I remember mistaking a C pennsylvanicus major for a queen :facepalm: I’m nowhere near being able to identify bumblebee gender :thinking: Desperately in need of a bumblebee field guide! As to the plants, my wife has the green thumb in the family. We’ll be set for spring 2022 :yes:


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#47 Online ANTdrew - Posted June 25 2021 - 4:42 AM

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This site is great! https://wisconsinbum...-guide/species/
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#48 Online ANTdrew - Posted June 26 2021 - 7:28 AM

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Halictids on Rosa Carolina. Bees love the high quality pollen from this native rose!

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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#49 Offline Antkeeper01 - Posted June 26 2021 - 7:33 AM

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nice pics


1X Pogonomyrmex occidentalis 40-50 Workers

1X Solenopsis molesta 10 Workers (mono)

Ants I Want: Crematogaster sp, Camponotus Sp., Ponera Pennsylvanica, Mymercocystus sp.

 

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube....kUjx-dPFMyVqOLw

 

 Join Our Fledgling Discord Server https://discord.com/...089056687423489


#50 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 29 2021 - 8:25 PM

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A new find! Bombus griseocollis in/on Climbing Prairie Roses

2135F409 2AE9 424B BA93 C71B590E23A9
 
 
B939EA9E D31F 4609 8909 BA96AC3E89F1

 

 


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#51 Online ANTdrew - Posted June 30 2021 - 1:31 AM

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A new find! Bombus griseocollis in/on Climbing Prairie Roses





Beautiful! I’m a big fan of this species now.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#52 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted July 1 2021 - 6:52 PM

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Over the past two days I’ve done some shooting. Still trying to capture bees in flight. First the commonly seen, Apis melifera hovering near Asclepias syriaca, Common Milkweed. It’s  taken me a few days to figure out the flower with help from ANTDrew (Thanks!).  

 

3BEEED08 7E30 4C79 9A70 90AB8CCF0464

 
 

Bombus impatiens in Climbing Prairie Roses
 
A9A8D4D3 BFDB 4F00 8A55 43CA3CA2A435
 

 
 
A Leafcutter Bee Megachile sp. hovering by a Nepeta racemosa blossom. 
 
CA964339 1512 4C91 9C28 8BBB13AF1E82

Edited by ConcordAntman, July 2 2021 - 4:17 PM.

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#53 Online ANTdrew - Posted July 2 2021 - 2:26 AM

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These photos are getting better and better!
That first photo is a milkweed, probably Asclepias syriaca.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#54 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted July 2 2021 - 4:21 AM

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Thanks, I’m working on them! iNaturalist suggested Climbing Milkweed but the flowers didn’t match. I ended up googling milkweed plants native to Massachusetts. Out of the 5 varieties (common, butterflyweed, swamp, whorled, and poke), Whorled Milkweed flowers matched. I’ll correct the post. 



#55 Online ANTdrew - Posted July 2 2021 - 4:27 AM

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Send me a photo of the leaves, and I’ll narrow it down. iNaturalist ain’t doing too well with your plant requests.
Edit: if the plant is a volunteer you just found in your yard or wild, I’d say there’s a 99.5% chance it’s common milkweed.

Edited by ANTdrew, July 2 2021 - 4:33 AM.

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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#56 Online ANTdrew - Posted July 2 2021 - 4:42 AM

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Wow! I literally just joined iNaturalist, and the plant IDs are abysmal.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#57 Offline Kaelwizard - Posted July 2 2021 - 8:12 AM

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Over the past two days I’ve done some shooting. Still trying to capture bees in flight. First the commonly seen, Apis melifera hovering near Asclepias verticillata, Whorled Milkweed (It took me a few days to figure out the flower).  
 

 

 
 

Bombus impatiens in Climbing Prairie Roses
 
 
 

 
 
A Leafcutter Bee Megachile sp. hovering by a Nepeta racemosa blossom. 
 

 

Those pictures are absolutely stunning even without the wings in focus. Keep up the good work!


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#58 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted July 2 2021 - 12:31 PM

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Thanks Kaelwizard, I was shooting at 1/1000 th of a second and it was a bit overcast. I was afraid to use a faster shutter speed without better light  and I didn’t have my flash attached. I’m still working at it!


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#59 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted July 7 2021 - 6:32 PM

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I believe this is a Mason Bee hovering in Cat mint

 

484248F3 6CE8 4571 99C0 0DE39E23B50A
 
 
Bombus impatiens 
 
E5EA00B4 A9AD 43FB A84B 822FA96D24E6

 

Finally, genus Ceratina, subgenus Zadontomerus

 

913A03BE 851F 4007 A159 3D27251A1E43

 

 


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#60 Online ANTdrew - Posted July 7 2021 - 6:40 PM

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Stunning!
That first one looks like Osmia lignaria, but it is kind of late in the year for them to be active. You are further north, though.
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.




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