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Bee Photography Thread


171 replies to this topic

#141 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted April 14 2023 - 9:15 AM

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I was inspecting my hive and found this interloper hanging around. I think it’s a Cuckoo wasp of the Chrysura genus. 
DSC 8465
 
Here’s the entrance to my hive. These are Italian Apis mellifera. I just found it interesting. The hive was barely 12 hours old and while all the bees were perfectly shiny there was this one bee that was covered in pollen. Where’d she come from? There’s little in bloom here and this colony is too new to the area to know where the “good stuff” is growing. There are several farms with hives around, I suspect she was lost!
DSC 8479

 


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#142 Offline ANTdrew - Posted April 23 2023 - 2:23 AM

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First bumblebee worker of the season I’ve seen. This is a Bombus bimaculatus foraging on the famous azaleas at the National Arboretum in Washington DC.

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Edited by ANTdrew, April 23 2023 - 2:24 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.

#143 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 20 2023 - 12:49 PM

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Bombus bimaculatus on my native roses.

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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.

#144 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 20 2023 - 3:29 PM

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Anthidium maculatum wool carder bee gathering plant fuzz off my rose campion flowers. The wad of fluff was actually pretty huge!

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Edited by ANTdrew, May 20 2023 - 4:13 PM.

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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.

#145 Offline Barristan - Posted May 21 2023 - 6:03 AM

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Today I saw that the wild bees sealed two of the test tubes (12/10 mm diameter) I placed inside my bee hotel:

IMG_20230521_151823.jpg

 

I took one test tube out and took additional pictures:

 

IMG_20230521_151649-scaled.jpg

 

You can see the 5 brood chambers that contain nectar, pollen and exactly one egg (or maybe already small larvae?)

Close-up of one chamber:

 

IMG_20230521_151704.jpg


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#146 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 21 2023 - 6:34 AM

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

#147 Online Flu1d - Posted May 21 2023 - 7:28 AM

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Today I saw that the wild bees sealed two of the test tubes (12/10 mm diameter) I placed inside my bee hotel:

IMG_20230521_151823.jpg

I took one test tube out and took additional pictures:

IMG_20230521_151649-scaled.jpg

You can see the 5 brood chambers that contain nectar, pollen and exactly one egg (or maybe already small larvae?)

Close-up of one chamber:

IMG_20230521_151704.jpg


Is it just my phone or do these images not work for anyone else?

#148 Offline Ernteameise - Posted May 21 2023 - 8:02 AM

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Wow this is awesome.

I should try that, too.



#149 Offline ANTdrew - Posted May 27 2023 - 10:05 AM

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Bombus griseocolus on Carolina rose.

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  • A23CFF5C-9BFD-4076-9560-D342E0F5F3F9.jpeg

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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.

#150 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 4 2023 - 11:51 AM

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I believe this is a Bombus fervidus.
A1-B41109-477-C-4-F66-A96-B-474-B608-C72photo upload link

Edited by ANTdrew, June 4 2023 - 11:53 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.

#151 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 11 2023 - 1:48 PM

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Another Bombus fervidus:
F02-BAC02-429-D-48-CE-B3-C2-9-CE3-ECBEB6
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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.

#152 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted June 14 2023 - 12:05 PM

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Osmia bucephala (Bufflehead Mason Bee) approaches Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart)
 
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#153 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 1 2023 - 2:04 PM

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This is one of the most spectacular bees I’ve ever seen. It was observed in Antigua, Guatemala. I believe it is a Eulaema meriana or similar species. These are massive orchid bees. Males collect scents from orchid and other plants to attract mates.

8-A97646-D-6-BAD-4-F39-99-DE-97-E42-C004
  • ConcordAntman, Ernteameise and 100lols like this
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#154 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 2 2023 - 4:22 AM

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Tetragonisca angustula, stingless honey bees. These eusocial bees have been raised for honey since Mayan times.

99575-D8-E-EC71-4-A53-AF06-D69644-A5-A52
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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.

#155 Offline ANTdrew - Posted July 17 2023 - 1:13 PM

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Wool carder bee on my Monarda:
A1697095-7-BCD-480-D-96-DD-94-D64-A09-B0
6-A9-DDF9-B-C672-477-B-B50-C-E9137-BECCD
02-E867-A1-EB3-A-41-CD-A8-A8-849-BAA7-A4
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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.

#156 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted July 18 2023 - 6:24 PM

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We were traveling in the Southwest for our anniversary and were visiting the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens. It was supposed to be a decent birding site but I ended up being fascinated by the bugs :)

 

First, a Spotted Woolcarder (Anthidium maculosum) on a Beardtongue (Subgenus Penstemon). There’s another foraging in the upper right of the frame. 

DSC 0815
 
DSC 0816

I thought this was a Half-Black Bumblebee (Bombus vagans) on Lavender but it’s an American Bumblebee (Bombus pennsylvanicus).
DSC 0986
 
DSC 0981
 
DSC 1000
 
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Western Honeybee (Apis melifera)
DSC 0837

Finally, I know it isn’t a bee but this White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata) foraging on Rose sage (Salvia pachyphylla) is amazing! This is the third different species of Hummingbird moth that I’ve photographed. 
DSC 0847
 
DSC 0848

Edited by ConcordAntman, August 6 2023 - 7:01 PM.

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#157 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted August 6 2023 - 7:14 PM

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A Bombus impatiens on Goldenrod gets photobombed by a passing Gold-marked Thread-waisted Wasp (Eremnophila aureonotata).

 
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Bombus impatiens with Goldenrod 
 
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Bombus impatiens with Bleeding Hearts 

 
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DSC 1956

 

 

 

 


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#158 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted September 8 2023 - 12:10 PM

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In spite of our weird weather patterns delivering weeks of sunshine interspersed with torrential rains, we’ve suffered periods of poor nectar flows. As a result, our local varieties of Yellowjackets have gone crazy raiding bird feeders (hummingbird and Oriole) as well as beehives (fortunately not mine). Here, a Bald-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) (also known as Blackjacket) dines on grape jelly meant for Baltimore Orioles while some others cause a mid-air collision!

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DSC 2237

 


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#159 Offline ANTdrew - Posted September 8 2023 - 4:00 PM

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Spectacular!
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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.

#160 Offline ConcordAntman - Posted September 8 2023 - 7:17 PM

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Thanks  :hi:






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