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