alexwilson5's Favorites

Observed this bee after it emerged from a Barestem Biscuitroot stem from last year. The wind hitting its wings caught my eye. I was able to switch to macro while it acclimated.

The last photo shows a fresh Barestem Biscuitroot (Lomatium sp.) newly flowering nearby.

Found three of these docile little bees, chilling out on Mahonia repens flowers, loaded with pollen. It had gone from sunny to overcast and the temps had dropped several degrees to the point that they seemed too lethargic to fly. This little one crawled onto my finger and we considered one another for a few minutes. Is it perhaps Snowy Mining Bee (Andrena nivalis)?

"Nests are built in exposed riverbanks, holes in the soil, sand dunes, or among plant roots (Wilson and Carril 2016). Nests are also built above ground in preexisting natural cavities in wood, hollow stems, or rock crevices, as well as in exposed areas on rocks or twigs (Wilson and Carril 2016). Nests are composed of pebbles, sand, and occasionally pieces of plants with resins. Nests consist of one or more cells in a single chamber or as separated clusters of cells and sometimes with a parchment-like membranous lining (Grigarick and Stange 1968)." [source]

Local supporting observations

Two-celled chamber made of sand and possibly plant matter, apparent visible "parchment-like" layer between cells, estimating roughly 10-15mm tall by 5-10mm wide. Roughly a foot off the ground.

Partner observation

Halictus? Observed bees nesting on the beach at Fort Worden SP. Many males and females observed in this area. Groups of nesting mounds somewhat close together and covering over a large area. Males patrolling. Captured some eyeing me from the nest and some entering nests. Small flowered blue eyed mary patches were blooming near the nest site. Collinsia parviflora.

Last year several people identified something very much like this as an Dianthidium structure. It also had two capsules together and was located within 15 feet of this structure.
"I think Eumeninae or Dianthidium." was the comment from last year. See observation #153507940 from 2023.

My first bee of the new year! A surprise find at Fort Flagler SP on the grassy field. Very few flowers around and cool at about 45 degrees and mostly cloudy. This female was moving but very slowly. This field mostly consists of slowly emerging white daisy flowers.

Note the lack of a glandular portion on the penial sheath in the dissection. Taxonomy is a bit uncertain in this family at the moment, but this would be penial morphology type c of Te (1978) and Wethington & Lydeard (2007).