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Honey Bee rescued in Portugal

On · Category: Honey Bees Tagged With: · 1 Comment

Subject: A Fair Trade Bee Story — Part 1
Location: Porto, Portugal
May 11, 2013 3:06 am
Olá!
This is very fitting story (as you’ll see from the pics) since today is World Fair Trade Day:

http://www.fairtraderesource.org/wftd/

Last weekend I was woken up by a captive buzzing up against the window. Not a fly but a honey bee! Obviously the poor thing had been inside all night which is a very long time to be away from the hive.
This would not do, so I found a glass and a card to capture her to assist in locating a now open window, but when I returned I could not find her. I thought she must have flown to another window so I looked for her elsewhere, but not to be seen (I did however find a spider who I took pics of in the meantime, coming soon maybe). Upon returning to my room though I spotted her, exhausted on the sill. She had nothing left in her and I was distressed feeling it was somehow my fault for not being more proactive.
What to do, oh what to do?
To be continued…
Signature: Curious Girl

Honey Bee

Honey Bee trapped indoors

Subject: A Fair Trade Bee Story — Part 2
Location: Porto, Portugal
May 11, 2013 3:12 am
As we left the story in the last chapter, the bee was not fit for flying. How could she ever get back to her sisters?
Then I remembered I had bought some amazing local raw honey when I first arrived. I dipped my momentarily handy citrus zester in and waved it under her nose. Showing instant interest, she tucked in to it and soon had perked up quite a bit. It was really adorable to see her excitement and rejuvenation (and her cute pink tongue).
Do notice the Postcard she is resting and snacking on. :)
Within about 10 minutes, off she flew. :)
Signature: Curious Girl

Honey Bee

Honey Bee on Fair Trade Postcard

Dear Curious Girl,
Thanks so much for sending us your Fair Trade Bee Story.  You are being tagged with the Bug Humanitarian Award for your kind treatment of this Honey Bee.  That is our favorite style of zester.

Honey Bee

Honey Bee eats raw honey

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Queen Bumblebee

On · Category: Bumble Bees · 2 Comments

Subject: Giant Bee!
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
May 3, 2013 1:49 pm
This giant bee flew into my office not once, but twice! Early May, Toronto, ON Canada.
Very aggressive, about 2” long, maybe 0.5” thick. Was trying to sting the windowsill, left venom where it had stung the metal windowsill. Once caught in a cardboard box it could be heard and felt stinging the box…!
Signature: Best, Claire

Queen Bumblebee

Queen Bumblebee

Dear Claire,
Based on the behavior and size you described of the insect in this instagram image (not ideal for species identifications), we deduce this is a female Bumblebee recently emerged from Hibernation.  She is a aggressive because she wants to build her hive in some abandoned underground mouse burrow or bird house.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Unknown Moth and Honey Bee on Milkweed

On · Category: Honey Bees, Moths Tagged With: , · 2 Comments

Subject: Accidental Photo of What May be an Exposed Bird-Dropping Moth
Location: Coryell County, central Texas
April 27, 2013 5:23 pm
I was photographing this honey bee on the wild milkweed today (may be Antelope Horn Milkweed?) and I later noticed a tiny fly (bee?), an ant, and what may be an Exposed Bird-Dropping Moth in the photo. No, I didn’t make up that name. :-) Here is a reference I found online: http://www.outdoornatureclub.org/Moths/content/9136_Exposed_Bird-Dropping_Moth_20100801_large.html
Warm, cloudy weather with scattered showers.
Thank you!
Signature: Ellen

Honey Bee and Moth on Milkweed

Honey Bee and Moth on Milkweed

Dear Ellen,
There are many moths that have coloration and markings that seem to mimic bird droppings, and when we first saw your subject line, we thought you must have meant one of the Wood Nymphs in the genus Eudryas.  Your moth does resemble the Bird Dropping Moth, however, we don’t believe it is the same species.  You were focused on the Honey Bee, so the details in the moth are not as sharp.  We did find another good image of a different species called the Small Bird Dropping Moth, Tarachidia erastrioides, on the Fontenelle Nature Association Nature Search website, but again, we don’t think it looks like an exact match to your moth.

What's That Moth???

What’s That Moth???

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Solitary Bees and a Drone Fly

On · Category: Longhorned Bees, Solitary Bees, Syrphid Flies Tagged With: · Add Comment

Subject: BEE IDENTIFICATION
Location: Stanwood WA USA
April 12, 2013 11:12 am
Hello Bugman! I am an adiv gardener in Stanwood WA, USA about 50 miles north of Seattle. I love flowers but I have really become passionate about photographing critters that grace my garden, especially Bees. I was hoping if I include some photos, you could tell me what they are. Photo 1 has extremely long antennae and I have not seen this critrer since i took the picture, two years ago.
Photo #2 is a an almost triangle shaped bee that I call the Guard bee. This bee seems territorial and chases other bees away. Agressive even.
Phto# 3 is a larger bee that I named mickey mouse due to their large eyes and funny shaped wings. I have so many more! Let me know if you would like to see them! ~ Tracy
Signature: Tracy Sellers

Longhorned Bee

Longhorned Bee

Dear Tracy,
Your first photo of the bee with the long antennae is a Longhorned Bee in the tribe Eucerini which you can view on BugGuide.  We have several photos in our archive of male Longhorned Bees roosting communally in a formation commonly called a Bachelor Party.  Your third photo might be a Leaf Cutter Bee. 

Bee

Bee

We will continue to research that.  Your second photo, the one you called a Guard Bee, however is not a bee.  It is a Drone Fly, a nonstinging fly in the family Syrphidae.

Drone Fly

Drone Fly

Daniel, Thank you for the identifications. The Drone Fly was a surprise , but now that I think about it, it’s behavior does more closely resemble a fly.  I am excited to be able to put a name to  the Critters that grace my garden!
~* BEE Happy
Tracy

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

On · Category: Carpenter Bee · Add Comment

Subject: Giant flying peanut?????
Location: Norther california bay area
April 11, 2013 7:26 pm
I have only seen this bug once, buzzing around the buckeye tree by the creek in Northern California.
It sounded like a bee, at first glance we thought that it was a carpenter bee loaded with pollen, but after I took the pictures, you can see that it is not! Sorry they are blurry, he never landed!
Do you have any idea what it could be????
Thanks for your help!
Signature: AMK in NorCal

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

Dear AMK in NorCal
This is a Carpenter Bee.  Male Valley Carpenter Bees are golden in color and live for a shorter time than the black females.  There is a pronounced sexual dimorphism in Valley Carpenter Bees.

Thank You!  I had no idea- we must have a lot of females since I have never seen this before.
Very interesting.  I really appreciate your response- especially so quick!!
Keep up the good work ;}

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

On · Category: Carpenter Bee · Add Comment

Subject: Big Brown Bee by Orange Tree
Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
March 13, 2013 6:31 pm
Hello,
I noticed about 5 of these big brown bees flying in and around my orange tree with is starting to bud.
I’ve been living at this location for 3 years and have never seen this bug here or ever before.
Is it even a bee?
I live in the san fernando valley in southern California. Los Angeles County.
It seems to be about an inch in length. Orangish-brown in color and buzzes like a bee.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Signature: Rory Ambron

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

Dear Rory,
You are absolutely correct that this is a Bee, and more specifically, it is a male Valley Carpenter Bee.  Valley Carpenter Bees exhibit sexual dimorphism, meaning that the male and female look very different from one another.  The male is a lovely golden color with green eyes and the female is larger and black with black wings.  The female excavates a gallery for her brood in dead wood, and it is reported that Valley Carpenter Bees can do considerable damage over the years to telephone poles if they are plentiful.

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Male Carpenter Bee from Florida

On · Category: Carpenter Bee · Add Comment

Subject: Super large bee
Location: Tampa Florida
February 21, 2013 6:47 pm
We found this bee in our yard in Tampa on Feb 21, 2013. It measures 2 inches long.
Signature: Lsolie

Male Carpenter Bee

Male Carpenter Bee

Dear Lsolie,
This is a male Carpenter Bee, and we don’t believe it is a species native to Florida.  Members of the subgenus Neoxylocopa which includes the Valley Carpenter Bee, exhibit sexual dimorphism and the males are golden while the females are black.  BugGuide lists the range as:  “essentially a neotropical group, with a couple of spp. restricted to Pacific islands; in our area, one sp. widely western (to sw. BC), another only along the Mexican border (TX-AZ).”  To the best of our knowledge, no Carpenter Bees from eastern North America have golden males, though there are native Carpenter Bees. 

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Male Valley Carpenter Bee from Mexico

On · Category: Carpenter Bee · Add Comment

Subject: Furry Golden Monster
Location: Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
February 3, 2013 3:31 pm
Dear Bugman,
While sitting on the end of a pier in Puerto Vallarta last week this scary guy landed on my shoulder. It was probably a little over 2 inches long and sounded like a helicopter when it buzzed by my ear. I’ve been trying to find out some facts about him but the internet has let me down. Please help!
Signature: -Bewildered Bob

Male Valley Carpenter Bee

Dear Bewildered Bob,
This is either a male Valley Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, or a closely related species in the same genus.  Valley Carpenter Bees exhibit sexual dimorphism, and there is a distinct visual difference between the sexes.  Males are golden in color while female Valley Carpenter Bees are black.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination