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Bee ID Please
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Posted by Laura_TX8 8TX (My Page) on Mon, Jul 11, 05 at 13:14
| I have a new bee in the garden this summer. It's solid black, roughly the size/shape of a honey bee, and definitely a pollen gatherer. Does anyone know what this kind might be? thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Bee ID Please
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Hard to say without a pic,
could it be a CARNIOLAN? Carniolans are almost black.
Konrad |
Here is a link that might be useful: CARNIOLAN
RE: Bee ID Please
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Laura,
If you're in the north Texas (DFW) area, we have several beekeepers keeping Caucasian and Russian honeybees which tend to be black/dark grey as opposed to the more typical Italian strain with yellow/gold bands. |
RE: Bee ID Please
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| No it isn't the Carnolian. Actually it doesn't have any striping on its abdomen at all. I got a really close look at one yesterday. Solid shiny black, not hairy, black wings, black face/head and legs. Its abdomen is more rounded than a honeybee (more like a Carpenter bee's). It is what I would describe as an "agitated" flier. It moves more quickly than a honeybee and seems to not like me getting close. The only color on it is the pollen on its hind legs. This is really a puzzle to me. I thought I knew most of the insects in my area. A lady at a local nursery said that she has seen them this year too and has never seen them before. Could this be a type of Mason bee? |
RE: Bee ID Please
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The pollen carrying sacks on the hind legs still indicate a honeybee as this is a very specialized way to carry pollen and requies the development of the pollen combs on the midlegs. You can check out the following Texas A&M website to see if you spot anything closer to what you've seen (index 14).
http://entowww.tamu.edu/images/insects/common/index.cfm |
RE: Bee ID Please
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This sounds like a Mason bee?
Konrad |
RE: Bee ID Please
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| Ive seen a bee just like you describe around my garden lately. There are no commercial beekeepers in my countty and my area is new construction in a feild so id know if there was a bee hive around for atleast a mile. |
RE: Bee ID Please
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| It is interesting that they are just showing up in areas that they haven't been seen before. I just wish we could identify what type they are. |
RE: Bee ID Please
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| At www.bugguide.net there were several types of wasps that look just like bees: more rounded head, abdomen close to thorax (no noticable waist), all black, no hair, etc. You might check there. On the left, click on the bug that looks like a wasp (and where the tool tip says wasps). Click on the "Browse" tab to see sub families. |
RE: Bee ID Please
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| Definitely not a wasp. I'm leaning toward an Osmia of some kind. Do they have the capability to carry pollen on their hind legs or is it only the honey bees? |
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