mpelikan's Favorites

A bunch of these patrolling goldenrod - I did not realize at the time that at least some of them were not andrenoides, and had taken photos just as data vouchers. Upon review I was surprised to find the male I'd captured was something different! I was able to narrow this male down to compositarum or solidaginis on DiscoverLife, and Mitchell's description of coloration on the face and legs seems to match compositarum better. I couldn't find any photos of solidaginis for comparison but it seems to be somewhat more southern. Second opinion much appreciated!

I photographed a female on the same flower patch which is definitely not compositarum, and might be andrenoides but I could not be sure - see other post.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/242419707

Smallish Andrena that quickly visited a patch of asters on a woodland edge. Never saw it again the whole 3 hours I was there. Looks to have dark hair on thorax and perhaps dark foveae. Sadly these are all the angles I got, they don't show much.

Observed and released from a UV bucket trap (live trap) in a restored, fire-maintained sandplain barrens/oak woodland natural community. Host plant is present, but in small quantities.

@btk. @jeremycoleman. @dlnarango.

See previous observation for notes:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/222159680
Voucher specimen collected in 2024 from the same population as specimens taken in 2023, all on deerberry (no maleberry or blueberry flowering at the time either). Several other individuals were photographed in the hand and released to compare features, all seem consistent with each other and with 2023 specimens (though there was some slight variation in T2 pit size, density was about the same), except for pygidial plate internal area, which seems to vary in the extent of a triangular raised area vs an apical median line and basal raised area, with many individuals leaning more towards triangular or something in-between. Photo of the pygidial plate here was from the living specimen before it was collected. Wondering how this compares to other specimens you all might have.

Great find here yesterday by @nativeplantaddict and noticed by @dmantack. Northernmost confirmed modern record, although @mpelikan might change that soon...

Many males patrolling Kalmia angustifolia; 1 female present early on, but no more seen after that. Closely matches phenology at other known sites.

Good bee site in general. Trip list:

• Agapostemon texanus
• Agapostemon splendens
• Andrena carlini
• Andrena barbara
• Andrena vicina
• Andrena atlantica
• Augochlora pura
• Augochloropsis viridula
• Bombus bimaculatus
• Bombus perplexus
• Ceratina sp.
• Colletes bradleyi
• Colletes thoracicus
• Habropoda laboriosa
• Halictus ligatus
• Halictus parallelus
• Halictus rubicundus
• Hylaeus cf. modestus
• Lasioglossum [Dialictus] sp.
• Lasioglossum [Hemihalictus] sp.
• Megachile sp.
• Nomada luteoloides
• Nomada imbricata
• Nomada maculata
• Nomada australis
• Nomada parva
• small metallic Osmia sp. (atriventris?)
• Osmia felti
• Perdita bradleyi
• Sphecodes brachycephalus
• Sphecodes mandibularis
• Xylocopa virginica

A. arabis? White clypeus, but I haven't seen this species before so I'd appreciate a second opinion. Unsure about facial proportions, and when I put it through DiscoverLife it eliminated arabis when I selected 'absent or obscure pitting' for the scutum, which is what it appears to be here (in any case the scutum and terga appear heavily tessellated). Also, it kind of looks like there's a tiny bit of white on the paraocular areas next to the clypeus on either side, so not sure what that's about. Average-sized, not small like a male ziziae or such. On Cardamine.

Same location as @slamonde 's previous observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/170730088

This individual was a little worse for the wear. I observed the patches of pickerelweed for almost an hour and a half before finally seeing this lone individual. Habitat is a small lake with abundant emergent vegetation. 3-4 small patches of pickerelweed were present. Dufourea novaeangliae also found (photos coming).