Posts Tagged: carpenter bee
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)
The Boys Are Back in Town
The boys are back in town! Well, at least one is. We don't know where the girls are. Neither,...
A male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, nectars on a a mustard blossom in Vacaville, Calif. on Sunday, March 25. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Peek-a-bee! The male Valley carpenter bee peers at the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
We have lift-off! The teddy bear bee, Xylocopa varipuncta,leaves a mustard blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Pollen Power
The conversation usually starts like this: "I saw this huge, huge bumble bee with yellow on its...
Gold dust? No, this is pollen covering the thorax of this female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, nectaring on the passionflower vine (Passiflora). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Pollen from the passionflower vine is brushing against this Valley carpenter bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of the Gulf Fritillary. Its host plant is the passionflower vine, Passiflora. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Beauty of a Carpenter Bee's Wings
There's an old saying applicable to child-rearing: "First you give them roots, and then you give...
Iridescent wings of a female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta. The bee is nectaring on showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, but she's the one putting on a show. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bigger, Better, Buglier: Impressive Science
Oh, the bugs! Bigger. Better. Buglier. It was Saturday, April 18, the 103rd annual UC Davis...
Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, chats with Adne Burruss, 6, of Irvine. (Photos by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A close-up of a male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, held by Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis.
Future entomologist? Julianna Amaya, 10, of Martinez is fascinated by an Australian walking stick.
Entomologist and Bohart Museum associate Jeff Smith talks butterflies to Ted Swift and his daughter Grace Swift, 10, of Davis.
Fran Keller, assistant professor at Folsom Lake College, staffs the Bohart Museum gift shop.