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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies (Megachilidae) » Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, Sharptail, Mason, and Woolcarder bees and relatives (Megachilinae) » Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, and Sharptail bees (Megachilini) » Leafcutter and Resin Bees (Megachile) » Subgenus Chelostomoides (Megachile Subgenus Chelostomoides)
Photo#766109
Bees feeding another in Palo Verde tree - Megachile
Copyright © 2013 Lon Brehmer and Enriqueta Flores-Guevara

Bees feeding another in Palo Verde tree - Megachile
Zapata Wash, NE of Mammoth, Pinal County, Arizona, USA
April 27, 2013
Many small gray bees feeding what appears to be one (with much larger mandibles) inside of a small hole in Palo Verde tree branch. I would guess that they are Leaf-cutter bees; but I can't see how I can tell them apart from Halictus Sweat bees (any clues on how to tell the difference would be appreciated). Thank you for your help. (I will include one for wing venation, and another from a flowering Mesquite tree nearby with a better side view)

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Bees feeding another in Palo Verde tree - Megachile Bees feeding another in Palo Verde tree - Megachile Bees feeding another in Palo Verde tree - Megachile Bees feeding another in Palo Verde tree - Megachile
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Contributed by Lon Brehmer and Enriqueta Flores-Guevara on 2 May, 2013 - 3:36pm
Last updated 11 May, 2013 - 3:28pm

Moved
Moved from Leaf-cutting and Resin Bees.
… John S. Ascher, 11 May, 2013 - 3:28pm login or register to post comments

Correct ID!
Not sure if this is a leaf-cutting member Megachile but it is certainly in the same genus as most leafcutter bees!
My guess is that the males are swarming a freshly-emerging, virgin female--every male's dream is to mate with a virgin female, and in many bee species males emerge earlier than the females by at least several days so that they have time to prepare themselves to pounce freshly emerging females.
… Keng-Lou James Hung, 2 May, 2013 - 11:02pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
I appreciate your help and comments. I was wondering what they were all doing, because I couldn't see that they were passing any material, and the amount of time of contact between the outside bees and the inside one was miniscule, I would guess up to 2-3 per second. Thanks again.
… Lon Brehmer and Enriqueta Flores-Guevara, 3 May, 2013 - 9:36am login or register to post comments

 
No problem!
My pleasure :) It's always great to see shots documenting insect behavior!
… Keng-Lou James Hung, 3 May, 2013 - 9:45am login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Keng-Lou James Hung, 2 May, 2013 - 10:58pm login or register to post comments

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