Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, & Honey Bees (family Apidae)
Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees (Family Megachilidae)
Other families
Note that I am new to bees and many families and species are hard to distinguish so there may be errors. For example, bumble bee species may show several patterns and species often have similar forms.
This is the largest, most diverse group of bees, and includes bumble, honey, and long-horned bees.
The Yellow-faced is common found west of the Cascades. It can be confused with B. caliginosus, B. occidentalis, and B. vandykei.
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Obscure Bumble Bee (Bombus caliginosus) ?
aka Fog-belt Bumble Bee
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/22/22
Black-tailed/Orange-rumped is a common species found west of the Cascades and portions of the east side. It can be confused with B. sylvicola, B. bifarius, B. rufocinctus, and B. hunti
Black-tailed/Orange-rumped Bumble Bee (Bombus melanopygus)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Black-tailed/Orange-rumped Bumble Bee (Bombus melanopygus)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Bumble Bee sp. (Bombus sp.)
Parsnip Lakes Road, CSNM, Jackson County, Oregon. 6/24/23
Yellow Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus) is a wide-spread, long-tongued species.
Yellow Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)
Satus Pass, Klickitat County, Washington. 6/30/23
Western/European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/22/21
Western/European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/13/21
Western/European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/17/21
Males have long antennae. Females have long hairs for collecting pollen on their hind legs and the clypeus resembles a "Roman nose".
Long-horned Bee male (Ceratina spp.) ?
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/4/22
Long-horned Bee male (Mellisodes sp.)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 7/23/22
Long-horned Bee male (Mellisodes sp.)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 7/23/22
Long-horned Bee female? (Mellisodes sp.)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 8/13/22
Xylcopa is Greek for "wood-worker", refering to its ability excavate a home in wood.
Carpenter Bee (Xylcopa sp.)
near Conboy NWR, Klickitat County, Washington. 6/7/23
Carpenter Bee (Xylcopa sp.)
near Conboy NWR, Klickitat County, Washington. 6/7/23
Ceratina is Greek for "horned", named for an impression the antenna gave.
Horned Bee (Ceratina spp.) ?
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 7/23/22
Small to medium sized bees with colorful bands. Leafcutters can be seen carrying leafs to the nest to seal with their larva. Carders use "wool" from fuzzy leaves to line nest cells. Masons use mud or similar material to construct their nests. This is the only family with hairs under the abdomen.
These are striking balck and yellow bees. The name comes from females shaving the fuzz off plant leaves and taking it to the nest to line cells. Typically found mid-summer except the introduced Europian Wool-carder Bee.
European Wool-carder Bee female (Anthidium manicatum)
Churchill Way, Tigard, Tualatin River NWR, Washington County, Oregon. 9/6/22
European Wool-carder Bee female (Anthidium manicatum)
Churchill Way, Tigard, Tualatin River NWR, Washington County, Oregon. 9/6/22
European Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/26/21
Megachile means "large lipped" so note the large mandibles of this group.
Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.)
Lower Klickitat River, Klickitat County, Washington. 6/4/23
Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/23/22
Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/23/22
Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 8/13/22
Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/4/22
Cuckoo bees often parasitize bees that are closely related. They sneak into the nest and lay an egg near the pollen collected by a host for her own offspring. When the egg hatches, it kills the host's offspring and feeds on the pollen.
(Dioxys sp.)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 8/1/22
(Dioxys sp.)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 8/1/22
(Stelis laticincta)
Fernhill Wetlands, Washington County, Oregon. 9/21/21
(Stelis laticincta)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 8/1/22
possibly Osmia lignaria
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
possibly Osmia lignaria
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/16/21
Osmia sp. ?
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 6/17/23
possibly (Herides carinata)?
Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/15/21
These are small bees often with metalic coloring. They may be attracted to sweat.
Bicolored Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens)
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 8/13/22
Bicolored Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens)
Churchill Way, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/6/22
Bicolored Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens)
Churchill Way, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/15/21
Texas Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon texanus)?
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/24/21
Texas Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon texanus)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/24/21
Orange-legged Furrow Bee (Halictus fubicundus)
Cook Park, Washington County, Oregon. 9/22/21
Orange-legged Furrow Bee (Halictus fubicundus)
Quarry Road, Washington County, Oregon. 9/25/21
Ligated Furrow Bee (Halictus ligatus)?
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/6/22
Ligated Furrow Bee (Halictus ligatus)?
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 9/26/21
(Halictus farinosus) ?
Durham City Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/26/22
The largest bee family, but most are small, especially Perdita. They are difficult to identify on the wing.
Mining Bee (Andrena spp.) ?
Durham City Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/26/22
Mining Bee (Andrena spp.) ?
Durham City Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/26/22
Wicky Creek, Mt Adams, Yakima County, Washington. 7/19/22
Durham City Park, Washington County, Oregon. 7/26/22
Cook Park, Tigard, Washington County, Oregon. 8/1/22
could be a variant of Western Honey Bee
Tualatin River NWR, Washington County, Oregon. 8/2/22
could be a variant of Western Honey Bee
Tualatin River NWR, Washington County, Oregon. 8/2/22
perhaps Bombus, only got this one shot
Tualatin River NWR, Washington County, Oregon. 8/2/22