Bicolored striped sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) / pulling hyssop flower #agapostemon #beePhoto #bees #SweatBee #BeesAndFlowers #beePhotography

So excited to see this paper out — determining bumblebee nesting preferences using standardized surveys led by Sami Dolan. We found 25 nests over two years in MN and WI and found that bumblebees prefer to nest in prairie and edge habitat rather than forests. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

I'm heading off to EntSoc and here's my take on navigating your first scientific conference. Hope to see lots of you there! scienceforeveryone.science/getting-the-... #EntSoc25 🧪

BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

Ma’am, you can’t just wander the sidewalk like that. Most people pay no attention to where they’re stepping. [Foothill carpenter bee, Alameda, CA 11-4-25] #bees #nativebees

Can apple cider vinegar make you lose weight? Probably not. My piece this week takes a look at a fascinating example of unreliable science, forensic metascience, and seriously problematic data. gidmk.substack.com/p/apple-cide...

Ever see a complete bee grooming routine up close? I’m not saying this Agapostemon subtilior female and I are heroes, but we are here to help. Enjoy this quality motion picture, complete with PG&E construction noises for that true California flavor. [Alameda, CA 10-27-25] #bees #nativebees

🎼 Tongue shadow, tongue shadow- 🎶 Watch this little male Zadontomerus carpenter bee perform an elaborate nectar-probing routine in a rock purslane flower. [Alameda, CA 10-21-25] #bees #nativebees

After 2024, pundits brushed off the Resistance as cringe. I submit: Yes, it was. And cringe is good. Cringe, in fact, will save democracy.

Very bizarre. An investigation by @cuny.edu's expert panel found "evidence highly suggestive of deliberate scientific misconduct" - but the university concluded that Dr. Wang did not do misconduct. #ScienceIntegrity @charlespiller.bsky.social reports at Science.

Xylethrus superbus is a fabulous species of orb weaving spider from the Amazon rainforest. While she looks a bit like a strawberry, eating her is not recommended. #Arachtober Cuyabeno Reserve, Ecuador 2022

Playing around with some GBIF bee data. Some records pop up with: Order: Hymenoptera Family: Apidae Genus: Crustacea Thought my code was bugging out, but no, just very bad data quality.

Agapostemon are terrible at mating (they still get it done - must be sheer numbers), but they are very, very thorough foragers. [Alameda, CA 10-3-25] #bees #nativebees

(Battle Hymn of the Republic plays in the background)

This is my friend Krystle Hickman’s gorgeous new book, which arrived today. Krystle is one the best, most dedicated photographers I know and a real inspiration to me. She is self taught and passionate, and has documented several previously undocumented behaviors. Buy this book! 🐝🐙🌿📷#invertebrates

New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

What a treat to watch this leafcutter bee bring the petals of a blanketflower back to line her nest, transforming a drainage hole into its own kind of bloom. #bees #Inverts

I cannot overstate how remarkable it is that under GOP rule, US federal health regulations have been captured by fringe crackpots who espouse views that the vast majority of the US public—and nearly 100% of health professionals—reject. Gift link:

Interesting new study documenting the only rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) overwintering observation: scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol58/i...

Researchers at Xerces & @unevadareno.bsky.social tested the plants butterflies use in two major cities—nearly all had pesticides, many at lethal levels. Every step to reduce pesticide use is a win. Learn more ➡️ xerces.org/news/organiz... Find safer alternatives to pesticides ➡️ xerces.org/pesticides

Speaking of the end of Longhorn bee season, here is the most impressively elderly male I've yet seen. An amazing amount of hair loss considering they never go into nests, which is how females lose their hairs (hole/tunnel friction). [Alameda, CA 8-16-25] #bees #nativebees

A perfect fuzzy boy from today (leafcutter bee, Megachile latimanus)

Extremely interesting opinion piece by MacIvor & Irwin on "Mail-order solitary bee cocoons as a gateway for biological invasion": doi.org/10.26786/192...

Another hidden treasure from Waikamoi: Hyleaus volitalis, a species of Hawaii-endemic yellow-faced bee. (No yellow face on this one, she's female). These bees usually hold their wings close against the body, glad this one decided to show off her colors... #invertebrates #Hawaii 📷🌿🐙

So many resin bees today! This nugget was very excited about some St John's Wort.

It's always worth looking closer.🐙🌿🧵 Late this afternoon I saw a small male green sweat bee in the grass. He was near a flower, but seemed to be trying - not totally successfully - to cling to a thread-thin piece of grass, maybe to roost for the night. I took photos as he clambered around, but--

Ceratina small carpenter bee mating is a more complicated activity than I realized before recording this. Many bees do antenna stroking but note he’s also grabbed her back legs with his and is rapidly stroking them with his middle legs. A lot to keep track of. [Oakland, CA 9-1-25] #bees #nativebees

this now brings us up to six (!) grand jury refusals to charge (that we know about), plus two cases filed as part of the dc surge dismissed on the us attorney's office's request

Alright, you all have to stop and appreciate this stunning little dude. The blue eyes, fuzzy sideburns, and cute little bee feet. These longhorn bees are typically energetic and skittish, but Mr. Handsome must've been napping. A great opportunity for a nice portrait. (Melissodes denticulatus) PA

Check out those antlers! #bees #insects #inverts #macromonday #bloomscrolling #flowerreport #pnw #garden #photography #eastcoastkin

First Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) that I've seen in our #Staffs garden this year; a male. Lots of other invertebrates on the Ivy too, showing what in important resource it is. #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination #macro #photograph #biodiversity

New paper! “Pollinator plantings in the intensively farmed Midwest (U.S.A.) support a core set of common bee species, regardless of local and landscape controls” led by postdoc Marissa Chase. 1/

My heart. Members of the US Public Health Service (the uniformed service branch no one has ever heard of, who serve at the CDC and elsewhere in the US), massed within the CDC property, saluting their departing uniformed leaders who were escorted out by security today after resigning on principle.

Meanwhile on the island we are also winding down to a few elderly males and the occasional female Longhorn bee. You can see this veteran’s age from all the hair loss and his ragged wing edges. [Alameda, CA 8-28-25] #bees #nativebees

International shipments and museum loans: some helpful, aggravating notes from Chris on the ECN listserv that I'm leaving here for future reference.

Not ever day that longhorn cuckoo bees (Triepeolus sp.) out number the bumblebees during surveys! Three species yesterday on one plot. All on blue vervain (verbena hastata) which appears to be heavily favored by this genus

My lab's been attacked by an anti-wind group and their lawyers. They threatened the science funding of my whole university, to shut me and my undergraduate research assistants up. NYT just covered it. 1/n www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...

Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced massive cuts to federal health agencies. The Trump administration has refused to say how many workers have been lost so far. But a new ProPublica analysis gives a detailed view.

A fuzzy rusty patched bumble bee boy from today. It's nice when they take the time to pose :)

Yellow Loosestrife Bees (Macropis europea) foraging on their favourite flowers - Lysimachia vulgaris (Yellow Loosestrife) on Beeston Common, Norfolk @norfolknats.bsky.social

Speaking of Phacelia, navigating those extra long filaments to harvest the anthers is also a jungle for mid-sized bees, like this Agapostemon subtilior. [Alameda, CA 5-4-25] #bees #nativebees

Native thistles are beloved by bees but criminally underappreciated by people. Here is a native field thistle (Cirsium discolor) with a Bombus griseocollis (top) and Bombus bimaculatus (bottom) having an absolute blast.

Sleepy bee

The USDA just posted openings to replace some of the entomologists lost over the past few months across the U.S. Mixed feelings, but I figured I would share it anyway. If you want to apply and want my opinion DM me Job link here: www.usajobs.gov/job/842192200 #entomology #Insects 🧪🪲🪳 #sciencejobs

Silent movie getting played back at the wrong frame rate? Nope, this is her actual foraging speed. Agapostemon subtilior don’t play around. [Alameda, CA 7-31-25] #bees #nativebees

Just a couple of two-spotted longhorn bees bunking down for the night

On my walk to work this morning, still lots of sleeping longhorn males in their usual spot. And that one female that likes overnighting with her brothers is still at it. [Berkeley, CA 7-30-25] #bees #nativebees

Sexy resin bees! They're so cute and stubby. The boy's little feets on her back 🥹 #BugSex

A small Bombus auricomus worker on Astragalus ☺️ Bombus auricomus workers are typically rather large, but occasionally you see a small one like this