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