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