Nesting in alluvial floodplain of major river in vertical sand banks. 25+ nests but likely more. Nest entrances were flying saucer shaped/elliptical. Males were seen attempting to enter nests. Females were returning to nests at 4:30 PM with pollen loads. When encountering me some would land on vegetation before making the flight to their nests.
Will be following this aggregation in 2023. Specimens were collected for further identification.
maybe P. octomaculata?
Aggregation discovered in loose xeric soils. No Ilex glabra in bloom. Must be using Vaccinium arboreum or V. myrsinites or Lyonia lucida. Bee is 2 months earlier than Norden et al's observations.
First time seeing them nesting in these boxes. Plenty of native habitat to choose from
A whole aggregation of nest holes on a sandy south facing old road cut with bees going in and out and visiting a willow tree nearby!!!!!
On liatris ohlingerae buds!
The pictures are very blurry, but that blurr is a brown sphinx moth visiting Bejaria racemosa flowers!!!! It was a very large moth about 2 inches long with a very fat body and it moved it's wings very fast and made a very loud buzzing sound!! There were at least 2 out working the Bejaria flowers!!!
On an oak tree trunk
Visiting Bejaria racemosa flowers
A robber fly that caught a different kind of robber fly!!!