Bumblebee & Beetle
One of the many, many bumblebees in my yard looked just off. When I caught it for a closer look, it had a hitchhiking beetle attached to one of its antenna! These flower beetles (Antherophaga sp.) feed on flowers as adults, but their larvae feed on detritus inside bumblebee nests. Apparently, the easiest way to get from one place to the other is to latch onto a passing bumblebee and go along for the ride! Who knew? Photographed for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Twan Leenders RTPI President
Read MoreMilkweed Bee
The bees love the milkweed! Whether it is bumble, honey, metallic or otherwise, these buzzy pollinators have been all over the Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) lately. There are finally a lot more butterflies out and about, nectaring frequently on delicious, chemical-free and native pollinator plants. I will show you more of what we have all seen lately all month long. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreHappy Spring Daffodil
Happy first day of spring from one of the most widely-recognized signs of spring across the world – the daffodil. These flowers are about to pop, and earlier this week I saw my first bumblebee of the year. Spring, you are here! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBusy bees
Shout out and thanks to the bees busy at work this week. We couldn’t do…anything…without you. Let’s keep this in mind when we consider what products and chemicals we put into our yards and gardens and keep it as minimal as possible. Water is enough!
Read MoreTricolored Bumble Bee (Bombus ternarius)
Have you ever seen a Tricolored Bumble Bee (Bombus ternarius)? This pollinator has quite a dashing look. There are actually 46 species of what most of us call “bumblebees” in the Americas north of Mexico.
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