CLOSED: Early spring unknown bee

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) May 03, 2008

I have seen those bees around the past two weeks, mainly feeding on Squills. (I have a lot of those blooming now) I have a lot of pictures to show.

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) May 03, 2008

Here is one of the best pictures - I accidently shot it flying away from the Striped Squill.

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) May 03, 2008

another one

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) May 03, 2008

better view of bottom

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maccionoadha Halifax, MA(Zone 6a) May 08, 2008

It looks like a Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), but I can't be totaly sure. I'd need to see a close-up of it's wing venation, to give an accurate ID.

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) May 18, 2008

Sorry for getting back so late - I had been busy in the garden. It is not honeybee - it have solid black ab - I can't spell it right - and have largely disappeared by now - there are carpenter bees, mason bees, etc that can get to the size of honeybee - I saw a mating pair but camera was in house. There are many other bee species that can be mistook for flies or wasps - I am going to try this summer to catch a picture of a species of bee that is tiny and had metallic green colors - I used to had opaque plastic covering on the chairs outside and it trapped and killed many bugs by heating them to death - the bugs may be attracted by patterns or polar light refection on the chair - there were many examples of this tiny species of bee in it - it have bee shape instead of fly shape. In scale of inches, I will make a rough guess of the metallic bee as 0.25 of a inch while the larger bee is about .75 of a inch and I had not seen them during the summer but I don't look at what pollinate my plants - information tend to be lacking. Not too long ago I would say honeybee is impossible (mites, viruses, etc) but I heard from another gardener who had her plants pollinated by honeybees from a guy who take care of hives as a hobby and that is in a older section of surburban!

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) Oct 27, 2008

I guess the pictures are not good enough anyway.

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Enmos Lelystad, Netherlands Oct 28, 2008

Looks like an Andrena species.

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) Oct 28, 2008

I will check that out - thanks

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Malus2006 Coon Rapids, MN(Zone 4a) Oct 28, 2008

I checked out bugfiles - I internet search andrena and found it - look very similar to the picture - the hairs on its throax and shiny black ab. Thanks

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