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.
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Small carpenter bee, genus Ceratina
Small carpenter bee, genus Ceratina
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Andrena, mining bee
Andrena, mining bee
Pair of leaf cutting bees, female, possibly Megachile pugnata
Pair of leaf cutting bees, female, possibly Megachile pugnata
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Oblong wool carder bee
Oblong wool carder bee
Dunning’s mining bee
Dunning’s mining bee
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Andrena dunningi, Dunning’s miner bee
Andrena dunningi, Dunning’s miner bee
Megachile pugnata, male
Megachile pugnata, male
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
European wool carder bee
European wool carder bee
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, male
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis
Mason bee gathering mud
Mason bee gathering mud
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Flat-tailed leafcutter bee, Megachile mendica
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Sleeping carpenter bee
Sleeping carpenter bee
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile pugnata, female
Megachile pugnata, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Sculptured resin bee
Sculptured resin bee
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Eastern carpenter bee
Eastern carpenter bee
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Male longhorn bee, subgenus Eumelissodes
Male longhorn bee, subgenus Eumelissodes
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Mason bee
Mason bee
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Lunate longhorn cuckoo bee
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Megachile pugnata, the pugnacious leaf cutting bee
Mason bee
Mason bee
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, female
Mason bee
Mason bee
Two-banded Cellophane-cuckoo Bee. Epeolus bifasciatus
Two-banded Cellophane-cuckoo Bee, Epeolus bifasciatus
Leaf-cutting bee
Leaf-cutting bee
Patchwork leaf cutting bee
Patchwork leaf cutting bee
Megachile sculpturalis, sculptured resin bee
Megachile sculpturalis, sculptured resin bee
cuckoo2
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Sculptured resin bee, female
Sculptured resin bee, female
Sculptured resin bee, male
Sculptured resin bee, male
Asian shaggy digger bee
Asian shaggy digger bee
Megachile rotundata, alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Megachile rotundata, alfalfa leaf cutting bee, male
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Leaf-cutting bee, female
Leaf-cutting bee, female
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Melissodes trinodis, dark veined longhorn bee, male
Andrena, mining bee
Andrena, mining bee
Coelioxys coturnix
Coelioxys coturnix
Osmia georgica, Georgia mason bee
Osmia georgica, Georgia mason bee
Sculptured resin bee, female
Sculptured resin bee, female
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
Leaf cutting bee, genus Megachile
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Subgenus Eumelissodes, female
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Oblong wool carder bee, Anthidium oblongatum
Female alfalfa leaf cutter
Female alfalfa leaf cutter
Leaf-cutting bee, Megachile pugnata, male
Leaf-cutting bee, Megachile pugnata, male
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Megachile frigida
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Megachile sculpturalis, female
Leaf cutting bee with sundrop petal
Leaf cutting bee with sundrop petal
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis
Mason bee gathering mud
Mason bee gathering mud
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Stelis louisae, painted dark bee, a cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Sharptail (leaf-cutting cuckoo bee), Genus Coelioxys
Leaf cutter attack or mating attempt, likely Megachile pugnata
Leaf cutter attack or mating attempt, likely Megachile pugnata
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, male
Sculptured resin bee, Megachile sculpturalis, male
Megachile sculpturalis
Megachile sculpturalis