Posts Tagged: Melissodes agilis

Battle Between a Butterfly and a Bee

So, here you are, a newly eclosed Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, eager to sip some nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in a Vacaville garden. It's a warm, windless day, and you're anxious to score, score,...

A Western tiger swallowtail, aware that a territorial bee is about to attack, raises its tails to ward off the intruder. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Western tiger swallowtail, aware that a territorial bee is about to attack, raises its tails to ward off the intruder. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Western tiger swallowtail begins to take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Western tiger swallowtail begins to take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Western tiger swallowtail leaps off as the bee draws closer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Western tiger swallowtail leaps off as the bee draws closer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Western tiger swallowtail escapes a hit by the longhorned bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Western tiger swallowtail escapes a hit by the longhorned bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Lawn-pocalypse! Surviving Drought

Ah, summer! The season of sunburns, pool parties, and… lawn droughts. If your once lush, green carpet now looks like a crunchy brown doormat, you're not alone. Let's dive into why your yard is staging a dramatic death scene and what you can do to...

Bermuda grass and weeds overtaking drought stressed turf grass.

A patch of former lawn, mostly dead, with a few green weeds and Bermudagrass

Why It's Called a 'Boys' Night Out'

Ever seen the male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, zipping around your garden, trying to bump all critters, large and small, off of "their" blossoms? They own them, ya' know. These male bees are SO territorial. We've seen them target honey...

A horizontal view of male Melissodes bees sleeping on a lavender stem. Image taken just after dawn in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A horizontal view of male Melissodes bees sleeping on a lavender stem. Image taken just after dawn in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What's up, sleepy head? A sleepy male Melissodes agilis bee begins to stir at dawn. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What's up, sleepy head? A sleepy male Melissodes agilis bee begins to stir at dawn. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Intensity of a Territorial Bee Targeting a Blister Beetle

If you're feeling overwhelmed during the holiday season and just can't seem to concentrate, check out the focus and intensity of this male territorial bee, a Melissodes agilis.  It was back in July of 2015 when I spotted a meloid beetle on a...

A male Melissodes agilis targeting a meloid beetle on a Tithonia in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male Melissodes agilis targeting a meloid beetle on a Tithonia in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The blister beetle eating pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The blister beetle eating pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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)

Read more