Favoritos de clarkia11

Observed this Nimble Squash Bee in a Devil's Trumpets (Genus Datura) flower. Most of these squash bees in this area were in the numerous Buffalo Gourd Cucurbita foetidissima flowers that grow in this area.

"Squash bees pollinate the sprawling Buffalo Gourd plants. Since the flowers bloom at night, that is when the squash bees are active. Squash bees only live about a year. The adults emerge in the late spring or early summer and die in the fall. Most of their life is spent underground."

Observed a few Pseudomasaris edwardsii wasps gathering pollen from Branching Phacelia (Phacelia ramosissima) flowers for their offspring. This seems to be a female as the antennae is short, not reaching scutum.

"The female wasp anchors her egg by its posterior tip to the bottom of the cell, deposits a jellylike cylindrical provision composed of Phacelia pollen and nectar, that is constructed as a cell cap.

"Pseudomasaris edwardsii pollen wasps lead solitary lives, gathering pollen and nectar from flowers to feed their offspring. Behavior aside, the clubbed antennae on pollen wasps (or masarid wasps) and other details distinguish them from yellowjackets.

These Masarid wasps are also sensitive, as their fate tied to very specific plants to gather pollen to provision their larvae. Pseudomasaris edwardsii appears to favor hydrophphylaceae plants. These wasps has been observed foraging on a member of this family that loves hot, arid places, silverleaf phacelia and around where branching phacelia grow. Where their forage plants are not available, pollen wasps can not live."

Observed this Pseudomasaris edwardsii wasp gathering pollen from Phacelia flowers. This seems to be a male as the antennae looks long enough to reach the scutum.

"Pseudomasaris edwardsii pollen wasps lead solitary lives, gathering pollen and nectar from flowers to feed their offspring. Behavior aside, the clubbed antennae on pollen wasps (or masarid wasps) and other details distinguish them from yellowjackets.

These Masarid wasps are also sensitive, as their fate tied to very specific plants to gather pollen to provision their larvae. Pseudomasaris edwardsii appears to favor hydrophphylaceae plants. These wasps has been observed foraging on a member of this family that loves hot, arid places, silverleaf phacelia and around where branching phacelia grow. Where their forage plants are not available, pollen wasps can not live."