[Leica] IMG: Bumble Bee With Unusual Markings

[Jim Nichols]

Thanks, Marty.  That looks close to my photo, except that I have found 
no photos showing the two hairy bands on the abdomen.  But there are 
thousands of varieties, so I'm sure it is out there somewhere.

On 8/19/21 1:34 AM, Marty Deveney via LUG wrote:
> It's a leafcutter bee (*Megachile *sp.) - the smooth striped upper abdomen
> is a giveaway.  They are also generally paler yellow than honey bees.
> They have pronounced black and pale yellow stripes with pollen-carrying
> hairs on the underside of their abdomen, are medium sized (~10mm) and
> collect pollen but don’t produce honey. They live in nests, in crevices,
> burrows, and hollow twigs.  They can sting but it isn’t as severe as a
> honey bee sting. If we could see its face you would see large mandibles for
> slicing leaves.
>
> Marty
>
> On Thu, Aug 19, 2021 at 9:30 AM Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 8/18/21 5:20 PM, Don Dory via LUG wrote:
>>> It just means the bee community has spread the word about the quality of
>>> your pollen that even alien bees come to visit.
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 18, 2021, 2:02 PM Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net>
> wrote:
>>>> By noon, the Rose of Sharon blooms were about half closed, but a few
>>>> bees were still working. I caught this large black bee departing a
>>>> partially closed bloom.  As I looked at the image on my computer
> screen,
>>>> I realized that the markings were unusual. It was not a Carpenter Bee,
>>>> our most common variety, but was thin-waisted and had two thin, fuzzy
>>>> yellow bands on the abdomen.  Searches online were not helpful.  I
>>>> assume it is some form of Bumble Bee, but the name eludes me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
> http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/20210818-P8180301-Enhanced.JPG.html
>>>> X-E1 with 50-200 and monopod.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Jim Nichols
>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>
>>>>
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>> --
>> Jim Nichols
>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA