Images

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Melissodes dentiventris, male, an uncommon denizen of dry sandy areas, specializing on pollination of composites...particularly maryland goldenaster. Collected in Anne Arundel County Maryland

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

Virginia, front Royal Smithsonian project collected in northwest Virginia.

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

Virginia, front Royal Smithsonian project collected in northwest Virginia.

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

Virginia, front Royal Smithsonian project collected in northwest Virginia. A specialist on native thistles, in particular their pollen. This species is vulnerable 2 thistle control measures of the introduced bull and Canada Thistle species. the native species also disappear from areas where control eliminates all thistle.

Captured in Southeast Virginia by students at Old Dominion University. Note that this specimens conforms to more interior specimens but has much less extensive presence of dark hairs on the Mesepisternum.

There are many species of Melissodes and as you can see from this male, they aren't called Long-horn Bees for nothing. All or almost all of these species are summer to fall bees and most are fond to very fond of flowers in the Asteraceae family ... the fall composites by other names.

There are many species of Melissodes and as you can see from this male, they aren't called Long-horn Bees for nothing. All or almost all of these species are summer to fall bees and most are fond to very fond of flowers in the Asteraceae family ... the fall composites by other names.

There are many species of Melissodes and as you can see from this male, they aren't called Long-horn Bees for nothing. All or almost all of these species are summer to fall bees and most are fond to very fond of flowers in the Asteraceae family ... the fall composites by other names.

The Channel Islands off of the coast of California have their own endemic set of animals and plants. I would expect that there might be some insects of the bee kind that might be endemic to, though I'm not familiar enough with their literature to know that is the case. Here, is Melissodes lustra from those islands. Photography from Sue Boo.

The Channel Islands off of the coast of California have their own endemic set of animals and plants. I would expect that there might be some insects of the bee kind that might be endemic to, though I'm not familiar enough with their literature to know that is the case. Here, is Melissodes lustra from those islands. Photography from Sue Boo.

The Channel Islands off of the coast of California have their own endemic set of animals and plants. I would expect that there might be some insects of the bee kind that might be endemic to, though I'm not familiar enough with their literature to know that is the case. Here, is Melissodes lustra from those islands. Photography from Sue Boo.

A first state record for South Carolina. This is the uncommon Melissodes manipularis. Its a male as you can tell by the very long antennae. This bee was collected as part of a survey of coastal Spring Island by Merle Shepherd and compatriots.

A first state record for South Carolina. This is the uncommon Melissodes manipularis. Its a male as you can tell by the very long antennae. This bee was collected as part of a survey of coastal Spring Island by Merle Shepherd and compatriots.