Posts Tagged: Robbin Thorp
Bed and Breakfast for a Bumble Bee
We just met a male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus. It was early morning and he was...
Male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, resting on a blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dorsal view of a male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, on a blanket flower, Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, tastes the nectar from a blanket flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Most Unusual Photo
It's an incredible photo. Nicole "Nikki" Nicola, a staff research associate in the Frank Zalom lab...
Male and female of the same species, Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipunta, share a single passionflower blossom. The female is solid black and the male, a green-eyed blond. (Photo by Nicole Nicola)
A pollen-dusted female Valley carpenter bee exits the passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, on a germander bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Who's the Boss of the Lavender?
Some folks refer to them as "those big, black scary bumble bees." They're not bumble bees. They're...
A Valley carpenter bee and a honey bee sharing the same lavender stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of the Valley carpenter bee. You can easily see the pollen dust on her. First and foremost, the Valley carpenter bee is a pollinator. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"This is mine! This is all mine!" A Valley carpenter bee clings to the top of the lavender stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
No Sweat? Yes, Sweat!
Ever seen a mob of tiny sweat bees? The bees below, from the genus Lasioglossum (as...
Sweat bees from the genus Lasioglossum on an Iceland poppy. This image was taken with a NIkon D800 with a 60mm macro lens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of sweat bees from the genus Lasioglossum on an Iceland poppy. This photo was taken with a Canon MPE-65mm lens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Why This Bumble Bee Is a Treasure
It's so blond that all you can say is "Wow!" It's sort of like the Reese Witherspoon of bumble...
A male Bombus vandykei,also known as the Van Dyke Bumble Bee, forages on lavender in Vacaville, Calif. on May 17. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A natural blond! A male bumble bee known as the Van Dyke Bumble Bee, Bombus vandykei, sips nectar from lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A dorsal view of the male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, foraging on lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)