Posts Tagged: longhorned bees

Let's Roll!

Let's roll! During the golden hour, right before sunset, have you ever watched a male longhorned bee roll full-barrel over a flower at Top Gun speed? During the day, the male longhorned target assorted insects foraging on "their" patch of flowers....

A male Melissodes agilis barreling over a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male Melissodes agilis barreling over a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Defensive Measures: Leave Me Alone!

Have you ever seen the defensive antics of a female longhorned bee, sometimes called a sunflower bee, as she's trying to forage on flowers while a suitor is trying to get her attention? (To mate with her) Such is the case in our family's pollinator...

A male Melissodes agilis dives toward the female of his species, but she's not interested. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male Melissodes agilis dives toward the female of his species, but she's not interested. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

In a defensive, leave-me-alone measure, the female Melissodes agilis kicks at the male. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

In a defensive, leave-me-alone measure, the female Melissodes agilis kicks at the male. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Melissodes agilis flies off, leaving the female alone, but not for long. He'll be back. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Melissodes agilis flies off, leaving the female alone, but not for long. He'll be back. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Get Off My Turf!

Get off my turf! The native bees known as Melissodes, the longhorned bees, start stirring in the early morning. First, they settle on a leaf or flower to warm up their flight muscles. Once ready to fly, they don't let up until late...

A male Melissodes agilis pauses to sip nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male Melissodes agilis pauses to sip nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Get off my turf! A male Melissodes agilis bops another male of the species. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Get off my turf! A male Melissodes agilis bops another male of the species. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"I said get off my turf." The male Melissodes agilis trying to claim territorial rights.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"I said get off my turf." The male Melissodes agilis trying to claim territorial rights.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Boys' Night Out: Let's Have a Slumber Party!

Let's have a slumber party! Don't bring a pillow, a night-cap or an attitude—it's Boys' Night Out and we're sleeping outside on the flowers. That's what the male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, do while the females return to their underground...

Boys' Night Out--Five male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, sleeping on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Boys' Night Out--Five male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, sleeping on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good morning! A longhorned male bee, Melissodes agilis, begins to move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good morning! A longhorned male bee, Melissodes agilis, begins to move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

During the day, the male Melissodes agilis species are quite territorial. Here one male M. agilis targets a monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

During the day, the male Melissodes agilis species are quite territorial. Here one male M. agilis targets a monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

International Pollinator Conference Comes to UC Davis

It's all about the pollinators--whether they be bumble bees, longhorned bees, squash bees, sweat bees, honey bees or hummingbirds. Yes, hummingbirds are pollinators, too! A capacity crowd of 250 will attend the fourth  International Pollinator...

A longhorned bee flies over a Mexican sunflower blossom (Tithonia) in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A longhorned bee flies over a Mexican sunflower blossom (Tithonia) in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A squash bee, a specialist bee that forages on the genus Cucurbita, buzzes out of squash blossom in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A squash bee, a specialist bee that forages on the genus Cucurbita, buzzes out of squash blossom in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) share a flower on the UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) share a flower on the UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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