Backyard Orchard News
That Cuddly Teddy Bear Bee
Oh, that cuddly teddy bear. The male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, also known as...
A male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, sipping nectar from a broadleaf milkweed, Asclepias speciosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male Valley carpenter bee, aka teddy bear bee, claims a blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sweet stuff! A male Valley carpenter bee curls to grab some nectar from a broadleaf milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch butterfly flutters in, but the male Valley carpenter bee refuses to budge. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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)
Wait! Take Me With You!
The honey bee struggled, but couldn't free herself from a broadleaf milkweed blossom in our...
A honey bee carrying milkweed pollinia. It resembles a wishbone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
IIt's easy to get trapped in the sticky reproductive structure of a milkweed. This one was stuck for two hours.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee gathering nectar on a broadleaf milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee's early morning visit to a milkweed. Note the trapped leg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee, with milkweed pollinia attached, resting on broadleaf milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Got Milkweed?
If you grow milkweed in your yard, you probably have some very special tenants, monarch butterflies...
A monarch butterfly sipping nectar from a broadleaf milkweed, Asclepias speciosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The milkweed is so named for its milky juice, consisting of a latex containing alkaloids and other complex compounds. Carl Linnaeus named the genus for the Greek god of healing, Asciepius. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The glow of a monarch butterfly is like a stained glass window.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Stalking the Red Flameskimmer
Who doesn't love the red flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata? If the Fourth of July had its...
Red flameskimmer dragonfly perching on a bamboo stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Red flameskimmer dragonfly against a solid background: a fence covered with a shade cloth. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Red flameskimmer blends in a background filled with Jupiter's beard. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Takeoff! All systems are go. Or green. Red flameskimmer adjusts its wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)