Solitary Bees
Most bees in Pennsylvania are solitary. In this gallery, I’ve posted photos of solitary bees from my garden in Harrisburg, summer 2024. For more information on many of the bees shown below, please visit here.
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Eastern carpenter bee
Eastern carpenter bee
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sculptured resin bee, female
Sculptured resin bee, female
European wool carder bee
European wool carder bee
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Sculptured resin bee, female
Sculptured resin bee, female
Leaf-cutting bee, female
Leaf-cutting bee, female
Coelioxys coturnix
Coelioxys coturnix
Mason bee
Mason bee
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
cuckoo2
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, male
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Mason bee
Mason bee
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Mason bee gathering mud
Mason bee gathering mud
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Female alfalfa leaf cutter
Female alfalfa leaf cutter
Mason bee gathering mud
Mason bee gathering mud
Megachile pugnata, female
Megachile pugnata, female
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Leaf cutter attack or mating attempt, likely Megachile pugnata
Leaf cutter attack or mating attempt, likely Megachile pugnata
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Sculptured resin bee
Sculptured resin bee
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Osmia georgica, Georgia mason bee
Osmia georgica, Georgia mason bee
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Asian shaggy digger bee
Asian shaggy digger bee
Sculptured resin bee, male
Sculptured resin bee, male
Two-banded Cellophane-cuckoo Bee. Epeolus bifasciatus
Two-banded Cellophane-cuckoo Bee, Epeolus bifasciatus
Dunning’s mining bee
Dunning’s mining bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Andrena dunningi, Dunning’s miner bee
Andrena dunningi, Dunning’s miner bee
Leaf-cutting bee, Megachile pugnata, male
Leaf-cutting bee, Megachile pugnata, male
Pair of leaf cutting bees, female, possibly Megachile pugnata
Pair of leaf cutting bees, female, possibly Megachile pugnata
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Male longhorn bee, subgenus Eumelissodes
Male longhorn bee, subgenus Eumelissodes
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Small carpenter bee, genus Ceratina
Small carpenter bee, genus Ceratina
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Mason bee
Mason bee
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Patchwork leaf cutting bee
Patchwork leaf cutting bee
Leaf cutting bee with sundrop petal
Leaf cutting bee with sundrop petal
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, male
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, male
Andrena, mining bee
Andrena, mining bee
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Andrena, mining bee
Andrena, mining bee
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Megachile rotundata, alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Megachile rotundata, alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Megachile pugnata, male
Megachile pugnata, male
Oblong wool carder bee
Oblong wool carder bee
Megachile sculpturalis, sculptured resin bee
Megachile sculpturalis, sculptured resin bee
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Sleeping carpenter bee
Sleeping carpenter bee