Macro Bees

Bees · 07:50 PM

Visited the Missouri Botanical Garden and came away with this.

photolady95 · 04-26-2016, 08:38 PM

Kind of hard to tell details with photos that small.

**jbinpg** · 04-26-2016, 10:23 PM

There is enough there for an ID. Looks like a Southern Plains Bumble Bee, Bombus fraternus.

---------- Post added 04-26-16 at 10:38 PM ----------

I take that back. I missed the stubby antennae which means this is probably a fly, not a bumble bee. There are quite a few flies that look like bumble bees.

**TER-OR** · 04-27-2016, 05:51 AM

I'm 99.9% sure this is a male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee. Size would be another indicator, they're very big - 1.5"

photolady95 · 04-27-2016, 07:37 AM

And little photos are hard to tell how big it is. That's why I said larger photos would help with ID.

**TER-OR** · 04-27-2016, 08:25 AM

They wouldn't hurt to be bigger. The smooth abdomen, flight posture, white face and hairy torso all point to male Xylocopa. The males will be out patrolling now, they're all over our area. Females don't seem to have emerged yet here. I missed an opportunity to get a video of courtship behavior a couple weeks ago in Cincinnati, I'm still dope-slapping myself, it was quite interesting.

**jbinpg** · 04-27-2016, 12:51 PM

Ah, yes. Thanks for the correction, Terry.

JeepJockey · 04-27-2016, 07:29 PM

Thanks, I will post larger next time. Another visitor to the garden mentioned they were some kind of carpenter bee. The bees had absolutely no interest in either my wife nor myself.

Racer X 69 · 04-27-2016, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by TER-OR

I'm 99.9% sure this is a male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee.

Carpenter bee? I don't see a tool belt.

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04-26-2016, 08:38 PM	#2
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Kind of hard to tell details with photos that small.

04-26-2016, 10:23 PM	#3
jbinpg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Prince George, BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,546	There is enough there for an ID. Looks like a Southern Plains Bumble Bee, Bombus fraternus. ---------- Post added 04-26-16 at 10:38 PM ---------- I take that back. I missed the stubby antennae which means this is probably a fly, not a bumble bee. There are quite a few flies that look like bumble bees.

04-27-2016, 05:51 AM	#4
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	I'm 99.9% sure this is a male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee. Size would be another indicator, they're very big - 1.5"

04-27-2016, 07:37 AM	#5
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	And little photos are hard to tell how big it is. That's why I said larger photos would help with ID.

04-27-2016, 08:25 AM	#6
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	They wouldn't hurt to be bigger. The smooth abdomen, flight posture, white face and hairy torso all point to male Xylocopa. The males will be out patrolling now, they're all over our area. Females don't seem to have emerged yet here. I missed an opportunity to get a video of courtship behavior a couple weeks ago in Cincinnati, I'm still dope-slapping myself, it was quite interesting.

04-27-2016, 12:51 PM	#7
jbinpg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Prince George, BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,546	Ah, yes. Thanks for the correction, Terry.

04-27-2016, 07:29 PM	#8
JeepJockey New Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Albums Posts: 17 Original Poster	Thanks, I will post larger next time. Another visitor to the garden mentioned they were some kind of carpenter bee. The bees had absolutely no interest in either my wife nor myself.

04-27-2016, 08:01 PM	#9
Racer X 69 Moderator Man With A Camera Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,068	Originally posted by TER-OR I'm 99.9% sure this is a male Xylocopa virginica carpenter bee. Carpenter bee? I don't see a tool belt. ........... .............