Images

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Anthophora bomboides. Fuzzy . Faking the bumble bee look to fool birds into thinking they can sting like a bumble bee. Here is one from San Juan Island in Washington State. This species occurs throughout the continent....but....its look differs across that huge geographic range. Are they more than one species or not? Does anyone care? You?

Anthophora bomboides. Fuzzy . Faking the bumble bee look to fool birds into thinking they can sting like a bumble bee. Here is one from San Juan Island in Washington State. This species occurs throughout the continent....but....its look differs across that huge geographic range. Are they more than one species or not? Does anyone care? You?

Anthophora bomboides. Fuzzy . Faking the bumble bee look to fool birds into thinking they can sting like a bumble bee. Here is one from San Juan Island in Washington State. This species occurs throughout the continent....but....its look differs across that huge geographic range. Are they more than one species or not? Does anyone care? You?

Anthophora bomboides, a rather cosmopolitan Anthophora. Found throughout the north and down the mountain chains on both sides of the continent. I have my suspicions that western and eastern populations are possibly different species, but so far no one has talked to the bees' dna about that.

Anthophora bomboides a large bumblebee looking male from Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming. This species occurs throughout the U.S. but shows enough variation on plumage and markings that one has to suspect that more than one species is involved (see the male from Maryland elsewhere in this photostream).

Anthophora bomboides, a rather cosmopolitan Anthophora. Found throughout the north and down the mountain chains on both sides of the continent. I have my suspicions that western and eastern populations are possibly different species, but so far no one has talked to the bees' dna about that.

Anthophora bomboides, a rather cosmopolitan Anthophora. Found throughout the north and down the mountain chains on both sides of the continent. I have my suspicions that western and eastern populations are possibly different species, but so far no one has talked to the bees' dna about that.

Maryland, Alleghany County

Captured by the butterfly convert Don Harvey in the wilds of Hidalgo County, New Mexico, here is the hunky Anthophora californica captured, as you can see from the pollen after servicing the local flowers. Thank you bees. Picture taken by Joaquin Mogollon.

If you want a group of bees that generally present themselves well and look like bees not wasps choose the Digger Bee grouip. This male Anthophora californica was collected by Don Harvey in Hidalgo County, NM. Dryland area for sure and the distribution sits right in the dry areas of the West.

If you want a group of bees that generally present themselves well and look like bees not wasps choose the Digger Bee grouip. This male Anthophora californica was collected by Don Harvey in Hidalgo County, NM. Dryland area for sure and the distribution sits right in the dry areas of the West.

If you want a group of bees that generally present themselves well and look like bees not wasps choose the Digger Bee grouip. This male Anthophora californica was collected by Don Harvey in Hidalgo County, NM. Dryland area for sure and the distribution sits right in the dry areas of the West.

One of the few species in the genus Anthophora with a strong pollen preference. Its almost solely found on Boraginaceae, especially Alkanna and Anchusa.

One of the few species in the genus Anthophora with a strong pollen preference. Its almost solely found on Boraginaceae, especially Alkanna and Anchusa.

One of the few species in the genus Anthophora with a strong pollen preference. Its almost solely found on Boraginaceae, especially Alkanna and Anchusa.