But this is a bumble, a fuzzy one too. Eastern... Oh alright, I'm looking up the genus because I remembered these have sweet scientific names . . .
These mischievous looking medium-sized bees appear to be a species of the Long-horned bees, Melissodes bimaculata. The only time I ever notice this type of bee is when I find them lallygagging some mornings on oats or dried grass as in my photo. Like I caught them sleeping in and they weren't supposed to be seen like this. ~ oooops
Our smallest Robber Fly, Holcocephala fusca (on plastic in above photo)
I’d been mistakenly calling these tiny metallic-green bees Cuckoo Wasps, because they look similar to that family. Plus the name cuckoo wasp is just more catchy. I was surprised to see that what I have is evidently Augochlora pura, in the Sweat Bee family. (I thought of sweat bees only as those tiny brown bees that I never forgave for stinging the back of my knee when I crouched in a meadow as a child.)
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I'm adding one more spider to yesterday's Web Browsing post. This type is one of our most common, but I've had trouble getting an acceptable photo because they are skittish and generally scurry up the web when approached. As near or as far as I can tell this is a Spotted Orbweaver, Neoscona crucifera, sometimes called a Barn Spider. There's another genus, Araneus, with a similar species also called barn spiders. I think we can tell by the "Longitudinal Groove" (Not a song from Love/Rock Musical Hair) that this is Neoscona.
Orchard Spider, Leucauge venusta(?)
Micrathena viewed from underneath web (not so pretty)
This wicked bundle of fuzz (above) is a male Wool Carder Bee, Anthidium manicatum - a European species in the family of resin, leafcutter, and mason bees. A pair of these (the female is significantly smaller than male) are the first bees I see in the garden in spring, always at our foxglove (Digitalis). Later in summer they are hanging about the Agastache and blue Lobelia flowers. The name wool-carder comes from nesting behavior of the female involving collection of “fuzz” from Lambs Ears or other plants. The males are territorial and very aggressive toward other bees. I watched our resident bully repeatedly attack and tumble with a carpenter bee more than twice his size.
This blurred action pic demonstrates the size difference between genders (not to mention how mean the male is as the female somersaults out of his way.)
But sometimes it's better to be out on your own. These are Milkweed Bug nymphs. I shouldn't hazard a guess as to which kind of milkweed bug, but they're either the small, large, or red ones. They'll grow rapidly and winter as adults. These nymphs could be saying "We know we're cute, and toxic." (Just like gummy bears.)
Here’s one little critter whose camouflage fooled me: a small orb weaver spider sometimes called “Trashline Orbweaver," genus Cyclosa (turbinata species?). I had ignored these small webs for I don’t know how long because they appear abandoned, displaying only a string of debris, (which also looks like small bird droppings.) Recently I was gazing out from my trusty deck lounger and saw the center of one such string of detritus dart out and make an adjustment - or maybe a catch - and in the next instant was back in line, blending completely. The web decorations, or "stabilimenta" (Why do I want to say that word with an Italian accent?) of these spiders are made with leftover bug parts, and also the spiders’ egg sacs, for camouflage or possibly to attract more bric-a-brac snacks (flies and mosquitoes, I hope.)
