University of Arizona Pollinator Field Guide

~crawls out of a nest in the ground~
Oh! Hiya there! It is I, Anthophora californica, otherwise known as the California Digger Bee. We are a species of Anthophorine bee and much like our relatives, are known for constructing nests beneath the soil. We prefer to live a solitary life, though our female counterparts enjoy socializing a little more than us males do. The females will typically set up their nests closer to each other, sometimes aggregating by the hundreds. It might be good to watch where you step in the dirt on occasion! When it comes to feeding and pollination, our long tongues come in handy when trying to get closer to tubular flowers; and with the help of our strong wing muscles we are able to perform buzz pollination as well. These two traits make us important players in maintaining wildflower diversity across the range. If you are interested in catching a glimpse of us, it might be good to have quick eyes for we tend to fly fast! We have a very stripe-y rear end (abdomen) that has much more contrast than a honey bee. We are also more docile than our more social Hymenopterans (honeybees and wasps), and will likely not sting unless you provoke us. less ↑

Hello! I am sure that most of you know me as the Western (or European) Honey Bee, but my fancy science name is Apis mellifera. I am one of the most important pollinators globally as I am widely used in crop pollination and honey/wax production. We honey bees did not originate in the Americas despite how common we are in the area, and are actually native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. We were brought over by a couple of humans that wanted a taste of our sweet honey, just as Winnie the Pooh does! After some time, my relatives and I became globally distributed, domesticated, and farmed for our products and abilities. A byproduct of commercial domestication and distribution, however, is that we have become prone to pest- and pathogen-related issues, which is kept under control by fellow beekeepers. Both in the wild and in farms, most of our time is spent gathering pollen and nectar for food generation as well as supply for the cooler months, and a fraction of the year (typically in the spring or early summer) is used for forming new colonies after a growth spurt in our population. less ↑

Bzz bzz! Hi! I am the Sonoran bumble bee (Bombus sonorus). Some may say I am a subspecies of Bombus pennsylvanicus, but others claim we are our own distinct species. Since we are bumble bees, we are famous for our buzz pollination methods. We pollinate crops from local blueberries to tomatoes in the hydroponic industry (who are actually very reliant on us for fruit production). Like other pollinators, our numbers and species are in decline. Prior to the 1990's, we were abundant southern and some parts of northern California. Since then, we are often no longer found or less abundant in these areas. Causes include introduction of European diseases, urbanization, much like our honeybee relatives. less ↑

I know that I can buzz about rather rambunctiously, I can assure you I am a gentle giant (at least until you poke fun at me, of course). I am known as Xylocopa californica, the Western Carpenter bee (or California Carpenter bee). Most of our adults can be seen taking flight during the later, hotter summer months, and are more common in the western region of the United States (hence our name!). We will typically carve out tunnels in untreated wood in preparation of laying young. Unlike termites, however, this does not involve the consumption of wood. Once a good ol' cavity is made, a female will lay an egg on a ball of pollen and nectar at the end of the tunnel and seal the cavity with sawdust. It is necessary for us to bore into wood in order to lay our eggs , but often the effects of this in wooden structures often affects the physical appearance of buildings, which causes some to consider us as pests. But in general we are more so viewed as beneficials from our contributions as pollinators to numerous species of plants. less ↑

~deep buzzing gradually increasing in volume~
Oh! Hello there, yes they call me Xylocopa varipuncta... or sometimes even Xylocopa sonorina. There has been a bit of debate over my name, here is an article that covers some of the commentary on that if you are interested: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7174431/. Anyway! My more common name is either the Valley Carpenter Bee or the Hawaiian Carpenter Bee, and sometimes I am even called the Teddy Bear Bee! Though, it is more so the males who appear that way with their golden color. Unfortunately it can be a little difficult for us to find a man because of geographical or topographic barriers... oh, how it would be nice to have a Bumble for us! Our females perform plenty of work, and typically duties such as collecting, cell preparing, and ovipositing will be done by the single mothering female while the others will stand guard. When nesting we tend to prefer bare, unpainted or weathered wood. This is especially true with redwood, cedar, cypress and pine. We can be found not only here in the United States but also in more tropical regions, such as Hawaii. But we are not native there, we were introduced by humans to the tropical regions to help pollinate Passiflora edulis (A.K.A. passionfruit). Maybe I can see you there sometime! less ↑