No offense taken. I work for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and I work with native bees. This bee has been found in the counties of Lehigh, Northhampton and Monroe since 2007. We have collected specimans and have since pinned them. Some key characteristics of this bee are the distinctive red color of the female and the it has tridentente mandible with the middle tooth being longest. Hope this helps clarify things.

Thanks for the information. I created a page for this species and added your comments. Any other information you have, please, let us know so we can add it to the guide pages.

The bee is not a native bee. It was first discovered in this country in Phillipsburg, Warren County, New Jersey in 1978. We have found it in abandoned lots and along railroad tracks. It is a wood boring bee, capable of chewing through vinyl siding. It is a solitary bee, but they tend to construct nests near each other and thus cause extensive damage. We have a paper that we are in the process of publishing that will officially announce the finding of L. chrysurus in Pennsylvania.

And I don't have it on my list yet. I'll do it right away. Thanks.

Great!! The common name is the Mediterranean wood boring bee if you would need that info as well.

I added a few things to the guide page. Nasty little thing, it seems. It came from Europe, found its favorite food Centaurea, also introduced, and is having a great time here. We will never get rid of those illegal aliens : (

Yes, this is great information, about the bee and you, too. Thanks!