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