Posts Tagged: Halictus ligatus

Dragonfly vs. Bee: Catch of the Day

The red flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) waits oh-so-patiently atop a bamboo stick at the edge of the pollinator garden. She's in Vacaville, Calif., and the garden she is visiting today is a veritable oasis of blooms: Mexican sunflower...

A red flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) with her prey, a female sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, as identified by Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis. The gender of the flamekimmer identified by Kathy Claypool Biggs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A red flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) with her prey, a female sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, as identified by Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis. The gender of the flamekimmer identified by Kathy Claypool Biggs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The red flameskimmer dragonfly adjusts her prey, a sweat bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The red flameskimmer dragonfly adjusts her prey, a sweat bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Beneath all of that pollen is a female sweat bee, the prey of this red flameskimmer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Beneath all of that pollen is a female sweat bee, the prey of this red flameskimmer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

All gone. The red flameskimmer polishes off the last of the sweat bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

All gone. The red flameskimmer polishes off the last of the sweat bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good Things Come in Twos, Too!

There's an old saying that "good things come in threes." Well, they also come in twos. When insect photographers manage to get two insects in the same photo, it's a "two-for." Autumn is in full swing now, and the colder weather is settling in, but...

A pair of mating Gulf Fritillary butterflies on a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A pair of mating Gulf Fritillary butterflies on a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two female Valley carpenter bees sharing a passion flower. Note the Gulf Fritillary caterpillar.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two female Valley carpenter bees sharing a passion flower. Note the Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two female sweat bees, Halictus ligatus, on a goldenrod. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two female sweat bees, Halictus ligatus, on a goldenrod. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sharing a Sunflower

You often see a single solitary bee on a sunflower. Perhaps it's a sunflower bee (Svastra) or a honey bee (Apis mellifera). But four on one? Sharing a sunflower? Yes.  If you look closely at the photo below, you'll see Svasta, Apis and a sweat...

This photo shows a honey bee (bottom left), a sunflower bee, Svastra, (center) and a sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, with another sweat bee, Halictus tripartus, coming in for a landing. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This photo shows a honey bee (bottom left), a sunflower bee, Svastra, and a sweat bee, Halictus ligatus, with another sweat bee, Halictus tripartus, coming in for a landing. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sharing a Sunflower

If you're in the right spot at the same time, you may get a double bonus: a non-native bee and a native bee on a native plant.We took this photo in Healdsburg last week of a non-native bee (the common European or Western honey bee, Apis mellifera) and a...

Two on a Sunflower

TWO ON A SUNFLOWER--A honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a female sweat bee (Halictus ligatus) share a sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-Up

CLOSE-UP of a honey bee and a sweat bee clearly illustrates the size disparity. The honey bee is covered with pollen from a nearby hollyhock. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ogling the Agapanthus

Seems like many folks assume that all bees are "honey bees." They're not. If you look around you, you'll see bees of all shapes, colors and sizes nectaring flowers. And they're not all honey bees (Apis mellifera)! The one below, as identified by...

Sweat Bee

NATIVE BEE, a sweat bee (Halictus ligatus) nectars Agapanthus. This is a ground-nesting bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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