#halictid bee

This pretty flower is one of those examples of ‘can’t leave well enough alone,’ as you will find it variously listed as Acacia angustissima, or Acaciella angustissima. At least they’ve agreed on the narrow leaves! Which some of the common names agree on, as well, since it’s sometimes called Fern Acacia, also Prairie Acacia. That latter threw me off a bit, as I photographed this specimen in a…

After a really long hiatus, I finally made it back out on a trail. It was a great hike, too. Worth the effort – and this one took some special preparation for me!  I hiked for an hour, and according to my car (parked in shade) thermometer, it was 102 fondly Fahrenheit out there. The weather app on my phone said 97, and I’m inclined to think it was mid-nineties on the trail, since I was in shaded…

A colorful example of the large bee family Halictidae, the little sweat bee Agapostemon splendensearns her species ‘splendid’ with this jewel-like emerald thorax and tidy black and yellow striping. All the photos show her on New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae) but you will find her on many other flowers as well. At this time of year she is busy gathering pollen to build tiny underground homes…

Halictid bee (Augochlora pura) on chrysanthemum

Oct. 12, 2016