A Confusion of Bees

Not the correct collective noun for bees but rather an appropriate one for where I am at the moment. 

I thought bees would be easy. I’ve got the Field Guide, there are plenty of bees around the garden to practice on, and thanks to the lockdown I have had the time to study them. So what progress am I making. Well, I have managed to identify a few and I even have recognisable pictures for some but I have also taken hundreds of useless pictures and I have spent hours trying to identify what I have seen.

What have I learnt? I do now understand that bees are difficult to photograph, they move too fast, vibrate a lot and are the wrong shape for the narrow depth of field on a macro lens. I also realise that there are a lot of species that look very similar and when combined with variations in the markings within  species, very few map easily onto the drawings and pictures in my field guide.

I am not even sure that I can tell the difference between Buff-tailed and White-tailed Bumblebees. The queens, if I could see them, would be recognisable but workers are giving me real problems. My only hope is to spot a male White-tail with yellow face hair.

Anyway here goes - but please recognise my usual health warnings on the labelling of the different specimens.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee - Bombus terrestris

At a distance you think White-tailed but close up there is a narrow buff band between the black and white on the rear of the abdomen. My difficulty is, that I haven’t yet seen a specimen that I am really convinced is a true White-tailed.

Can’t really go wrong on the next one. The very distinct markings on the Wool Carder - Anthidium manicatum make it easy to recognise. This one was also easy to photograph as it appeared to be roosting in the shelter of the flower head.

Wool Carder - Anthidium manicatum

  

I found the next one a bit more difficult as there are a number of similar bees but in the end I came down in favour of the Clover Melitta - Melitta leporina

Clover Melitta - Melitta leporina

  

And another Carder Bee. This one looks good for the Common Carder – Bombus pascuorum.

Common Carder – Bombus pascuorum

I then had to check to see why you find Carder bees in two different families, The Wool Carder in the Megachilidae with leaf-cutters and mason bees whilst the Common Carder is a Bombus in with the Bumblebees. Apparently they both get the name Carder from their behaviour of scrapping hairs from leaves which they then bundle and carry back to the nest to use as a lining.

I had real difficulty photographing the next one The Green-eyed Flower Bee – Anthophora bimaculate. Easy to identify as it seems to be the only UK bee with green eyes but the one I was after was hyperactive. It favoured hovering whilst nectaring rather than landing on the plant and it only stayed for two or three seconds before moving on at speed. It was a case of predict where it was going next and wait for it to arrive. So three pictures of this one. None of them perfect but I can’t wait for it to return to the garden so I can have another go.

Green-eyed Flower Bee – Anthophora bimaculate

Green-eyed Flower Bee – Anthophora bimaculate

Green-eyed Flower Bee – Anthophora bimaculate

Another Megachiliade this one I think is the Patchwork Leafcutter Bee - Megachile centuncularis but I am happy to be corrected if anyone knows better. It seems to be running a high risk strategy in our garden as Sue is trying to identify what is causing lots of circular holes in the edges of the leaves on her new cherry tree.

Patchwork Leafcutter Bee - Megachile centuncularis

  

Three pictures for the next one as well. A shiny bum bee? After much delving all I can come up with is a possible Forest Cuckoo Bee - Bombus sylvestris, but it’s probably another Buff-tailed that has had a close shave with something!

Possible Forest Cuckoo Bee - Bombus sylvestris

Possible Forest Cuckoo Bee - Bombus sylvestris

Possible Forest Cuckoo Bee - Bombus sylvestris

  

The next one fits the description for the male Red-tailed Bumblebee – Bombus lapidaries. Unfortunately it didn’t stay around for long but it’s another one I would like to see back in the garden again.

Red-tailed Bumblebee – Bombus lapidaries

 I have one final bee and I have no idea what it is. A bumblebee and probably my old favourite the Buff-tailed but it is either very faded or or a colour variant. Nice looking bee though. 

It's probably noticeable that I am sticking mostly with Bumblebees. That is really driven by the fact that all the sightings were in my garden so the the species variety is limited. I need to get out into some different environments particularly if I want to see things like the Nomada bees. 

I have to say I am a bit worried by the the Andrena family the miming bees. I already have pictures of a couple but with a few exceptions they are going to be really difficult to identify. However rest assured, no bees are harmed or will be harmed in my pursuit of an identification.