Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#275984
Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California

Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California
Webb Canyon, ~2000 ft. altitude, Los Angeles County, California, USA
May 16, 2009
Size: 5 - 6 mm
One of the many pool rescues from earlier today... The few times in the past that I have rescued this bee, the red and black abdomen always seems very distinctive and I am now quite curious to find out which species it is! As a wild guess, I thought it looked kind of similar to the images posted for Ashmeadiella xenomastax, but I would be mighty surprised if that turns out to be correct.

Mixed oak & chaparral habitat.

Images of this individual: tag all
Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California Bee with Red & Black Abdomen (either Ashmeadiella or Hoplitis) in California

Moved

Moved
Moved from Osmiini.

Well, Ashmeadiella is in the tribe
Osmiini, but I couldn't guess beyond that based on superficial similarities. John Ascher will know for sure.

 
Black on abdomen?
I thought that the matching red femur on your specimen was intriguing, as well as the red abdomen (of course). I can't quite tell from your images if there was also black on the dorsal surface of the abdomen. Don't suppose you had any other shots where you could see that more clearly?

 
Michener's key
to the genera of the Osmiini of the Western Hemisphere (2007;(1)) calls mostly for structural characters, rather than color. I don't know whether certain color patterns are restricted to one genus.

 
this color pattern occurs in Ashmeadiella and Hoplitis
this is one of those two genera in the Osmiini

 
Thank you Dr. Ascher!
As I mentioned before, this is not the first time I have been able to observe this bee. I would love to obtain a more specific ID -- could you tell me what structural features to focus on capturing for the next time I have the chance to photograph it?

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.