lrussoutk's Favorites

Found in a shell under a bush, buried in leaves, was very docile and beautiful. Stayed with me for like 45 mins, crawled out onto my hand to tell me when he had to go, flew similar to a beetle steady n straight.

A1: 10mm diameter hole at 1070mm high facing NE in Acacia pycnantha.
Site prepared: 26/03/2022.
Site utilized: ~28/04/2022.
Currently occupied with adult at rest with antennae protruding through the opening. Retreating when disturbed.

(B1: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111390723)
(B2: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/113153964)

At almost sunset I saw 3 male Long Horned Bees on the underside of a leaf about half a meter above the ground. I tried to take their picture but they kept flying away and then returning after a minute or so. I decided to wait and as it got dark, more bees arrived. They were skittish until it was completely dark and by then there were 8 of them. Like other sleeping bees, they clamp onto a leaf vein with their mandibles, tuck their legs up against the body and go to sleep, all facing in the same direction. This species has a white clypeus and white mandibles. In the 3rd and 4th pictures you can see how they hold on to the leaf with only their mandibles and one bee has his feeding proboscis extended. Once they were asleep I was able to move the leaf around and they were so sound asleep, I think I could have even combed their hair and they wouldn't have noticed! Apidae: Apinae. Overgrown field, semi-urban area, San Cristobal de Las Casas, 2,200 meters.
These bees are usually solitary. The females make nests in the ground. This is the first time I have seen a sleeping conglomerate of males. It would be fascinating to know how they all decide on a sleeping leaf. These are central american bees found only in the mountains between 2000 and 3000 meters. They are rarely seen and little is known of their biology.