Posts Tagged: Anthidium manicatum
Love Is in the Air...er...in the Snapdragons
Love is in the air. Or, more specifically, in the snapdragons. If you maintain a pollinator...
First in series: A male European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) targets a female foraging on a snapdragon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Second in series: Male European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) connects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Third in series: European wool carder bees go about populating the species. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Fourth in series: Male European wool carder bee is almost finished. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Fifth in series: Soon, the population of European wool carder bees will increase in this Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
European Carder Bees Do Like Snapdragons!
What a show! Last weekend we spotted female European wool carder bees (so named because they...
A male European wool carder bee patrolling snapdragons in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The European wool carder bee is about the size of a honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dorsal view of the European wool carder bee as it rests on a snapdragon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
All that patrolling makes a fellow tired. A male European wool carder bee rests on a leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bottoms up! A female wool carder bee foraging in a snapdragon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bee-Hold, The Eye of the Bee-Holder
Bee-hold, the eye of a bee-holder. When you have a "Bee Crossing" sign in your pollinator garden,...
"Bee Crossing" signs are favorites in pollinator gardens, not for the bees, but for the humans. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sign of the times: A European wool carder bees (Anthidium manicatum) is surrounded by honey bees on the "Bee Crossing" sign. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of European wool carder bee nectaring on a blue spike salvia. The eye of a honey bee adds to this photo. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This Bully Bee Goes for the Blue Plate Special
It's a bully. But what a bully! Ever seen the male European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum)...
European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum, heads toward a blue spike sage, Salvia uliginosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The European wool carder bee, an Old World bee, seems to prefer blue flowers with a long throat. This is blue spike sage, Salvia uliginosa, a native of Brazil. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two European wool carder bees in the process of giving the world more wool carder bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Under Attack: European Wool Carder Bee Vs. Male Valley Carpenter Bee
Meet the competitors. In this corner, meet Mr. Teddy Bear. He's a blond, green-eyed carpenter bee,...
Meet Mr. Teddy Bear, a green-eyed blond trying to nourish himself on foxglove nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Meet Mr. Bodyslam, a very territorial European wool carder bee. He patrols the foxgloves. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Mr. Bodyslam targets the unsuspecting Mr. Teddy Bear. "Hey, get away from my flowers and nobody gets hurt." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Mr. Bodyslam is moving so fast, he's a blur. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
And the battle begins! Mr. Bodyslam attacks Mr. Teddy Bear. "Hey, can't a fellow get a bite to eat in peace?" (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gotcha! The attack turns vicious. Mr. Bodyslam slams into Mr. Teddy Bear, a blow that prompted Mr. Teddy Bear to depart (only to return). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)