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