Contents A Field Guide to Common Puget Sound Native Bees: Southern Region Introduction 3

How to Use Guide 3

Making Observations 4

Classification 5

Recording Data 6

Parts of the Bee 8

Section I: Color Plates 10

Section II: Group Descriptions 22

Group Index 34

Data Sheet 36

Contributors 38

Acknowledgements 38

The Author 39

Author Elias H. Bloom, Washington State University [email protected]

Level: Beginner

1 2 Introduction Making Observations This field guide is intended to be a tool When:

for the identification and monitoring of The best time to make observations of floral visitors, in particular, native bees in bees is at temperatures greater than 70° the urban gardens and farms of the Puget Fahrenheit, and wind speeds less than 5

Sound Region. The relatively compact mph. Bees will be harder to observe in

size of the guide was purposeful in that windy conditions, and may not visit flow- we hope you take this guide with you into ers when temperatures are too cool.

the garden when you are working, or on Where:

trips around the region. Before getting For the purpose of data collection, we ask

started with the pictures and identifica- that you only make observations of bees

tion, lets go over some basics about this or other flower visitors on flowers in a field guide, and the proper way to assess garden. You may also see bees on leaves

bees. or on the ground. These bees may be rest-

How to Use the Guide ing, or looking for a place to nest. Bees and other floral visitors are notori- How: ously difficult to identify in the field. De- Bees and other floral visitors are easily tails on how best to observe floral visitors disturbed. Avoid sudden movements, can be found at the front of the guide, loud noises, or casting your shadow over while pictures and habitat information are them. Observe bees first, then less mobile sandwiched in the middle. The final sec- flower visitors like beetles and bugs. Flies tion includes a data sheet and details for will often come back if disturbed, but oth- tracking your observations over time. er insects may not. Please, read each section carefully. 3 4 Classification Recording Data To simplify classification, we’ve created Data sheets are at the back of the guide.

5 groups of bees and 6 groups of floral We recommend photocopying the data visitors. Use these groups for your obser- sheets and replenishing these as you need

vations and notes. Example images of more. Before starting your observations, each group can be found in Section I. On- take note of the date, time, and location.

ly classify floral visitors to the level at Step 1:

which you are most confident. Pick a spot in a garden where you can

Groups of Bees: clearly see a plant and it’s flowers. Sit or

Honey bees (HB) stand stationary near this plant and record any floral visitors you may see. If you ob- Bumble bees (BB) serve the same plant or plants multiple Other large bees (OLB) times over a year, or over many years, Green bees (GB) this will give us the best information Small bees (SB) about what types of floral visitors are im- Groups of Other Floral Visitors: portant for those plant groups. Butterflies (BTF) Step 2: Wasps (W) If the floral visitor is a bee, and you can Bugs (BG) confidently classify it, then note the bee Flies (F) group. Make sure to use the pictures, Beetles (BTL) habitat information, sizing guide, and Spiders (S) other details in Section II, to substantiate

your observations.

5 6 Step 3: Parts of the Bee Insects are generally broken down into If possible, photograph the floral visitor three segments, the head, thorax, and ab- and plant. If your camera has a macro domen. The head is home to sensory ap- mode, use that setting. Otherwise, try to pendages including the eyes and anten- take pictures that are in focus. Bees will nae. The mouth of the insect is located on fly away if you get too close, so experi- the head too. Almost all insects are bilat- ment with the distance that is appropriate. erally symmetrical, meaning they have Every bee is a little different! When pho- the same appendages on both sides of the tographing the plant, take a picture of the body. Bees have two sets of wings, a flower, leaf, and where the leaf attaches to the stem. Pictures are not necessary, Abdomen but they help us to verify your observa- pygidial area tions.

Step 4:

Add additional notes about the site, plant, terga hind wing and floral visitor. Your notes are very ocelli helpful in the monitoring process and will compound eye allow you to build a more complete data antenna middle leg set. clypeus Step 5: fore wing

Submit your observations, images, and hind leg notes about your garden to our website, and track your pollinators over time! 7 8 hind wing and fore wing, and three pairs Section I: Color Plates In this guide, each bee group represents of legs. The legs and wings are attached many different species. The only excep- to the thorax which is the center of loco- tion to this is the honey bee. We’ve in- motion of insects. Bees may or may not cluded some of the most common bees have legs that are modified for carrying for each group that you may see in this pollen. In honey bees, this is called the region. There are at least 20 different gen- corbicula, or pollen basket. Additional era of bees in the South Puget Sound, and markings or groups of hairs are often likely dozens of species. These plates are found on the abdomen of the insect. not intended to be a taxonomic identifica- Many bees carry pollen on the underside tion guide, but rather a means to familiar- of the abdomen instead of on the leg. Abdomen ize yourself with the native bees of our

region. Common names are given, and

Thorax Latin names are included to Genus or

Species. Head

Key Characteristics:

Some images have arrows which point to

key characteristics. Those characteristics

are described below the picture.

Additional Information: fore leg

For additional information on each group,

see the group description pages.

9 10 Honey bees (HB) Bumble bees cont. (BB)

Common Name: honey bee Common Name: yellow bumble bee Family: Apidae Family: Apidae Genus: Apis Genus: Bombus Species: Apis mellifera Species: Bombus fervidus Key Characteristic: flattened hind leg Key Characteristic: yellow body, single black band between wings Group Description: p. 24 Group Description: p. 26

Bumble bees (BB)

Common Name: yellow-faced bumble Common Name: tricolored bumble bee bee Family: Apidae Family: Apidae Genus: Bombus Genus: Bombus Species: Bombus mixtus Species: Bombus vosnesenskii Key Characteristic: three distinct colors, Key Characteristic: yellow face, most- orange rear end ly black body Group Description: p. 26 Group Description: p. 26

11 12 Other large bees (OLB) Other large bees cont. (OLB)

Common Name: long-horned bee Common Name: sand/mining bee Family: Apidae Family: Andrenidae Genus: Melissodes Genus: Andrena Key Characteristic: very hairy hind leg Key Characteristic: non-descript black abdomen, sometime with lighter thorax Group Description: p. 28 Group Description: p. 28

Common Name: digger bee Common Name: mason/leaf-cutter bee Family: Apidae Family: Megachilidae Genus: Habropoda Genus: Osmia Key Characteristic: long antenna are Key Characteristic: blue shiny body, common hair on bottom of abdomen Group Description: p. 28 Group Description: p. 28

13 14 Other large bees cont. (OLB) Green bees cont. (GB)

Common Name: mason/leaf-cutter bee Common Name: sweat bee Family: Megachilidae Family: Halictidae Genus: Anthidium Genus: Lasioglossum Key Characteristic: thick hair on bottom Key Characteristic: bright blue/green of abdomen body Group Description: p. 28 Group Description: p. 30

Small bees (SB) Green bees (GB)

Common Name: masked bee Common Name: sweat bee Family: Colletidae Family: Halictidae Genus: Hylaeus Genus: Agapostemon Key Characteristic: yellow markings on Key Characteristic: green to black head face and thorax, green to black stripped abdo- men Group Description: p. 32 Group Description: p. 30

15 16 Small bees cont. (SB) Small bees cont. (SB)

Common Name: sweat bee Common Name: sand/mining bee Family: Halictidae Family: Andrenidae Genus: Halictus Genus: Panurginus Key Characteristic: hairy hind legs and Key Characteristic: non-descript black stripped abdomen body Group Description: p. 32 Group Description: p. 32

Common Name: cuckoo sweat bee

Family: Halictidae Common Name: small carpenter bee Genus: Sphecodes Family: Apidae Key Characteristic: red abdomen, black Genus: Ceratina head and thorax Key Characteristic: protrusion at end of Group Description: p. 32 abdomen Group Description: p. 32

17 18 Butterflies (BTF) Flies (F)

Common Name: hover flies Common Name: skipper butterfly Family: Syrphidae Family: Hesperiidae Key Characteristics: one set of wings, Key Characteristics: clubbed antennae, very large eyes scale covered wings

Bugs (BG)

Wasps (W)

Common Name: common wasp Common Name: stink bugs Family: Vespidae Family: Pentatomidae Genus: Vespula Key Characteristics: triangular area be- Species: Vespula vulgaris tween leathery wings Key Characteristic: obvious pinched abdomen, aggressive looking

19 20 Beetles (BTL) Section II: Group Descriptions Sizing and Shape Guide: Size and shape

are often useful tools to identify bees.

Each group description includes an sizing

guide for your reference.

Sizes:

Large

Medium Common name: chafer beetle Family: Scarabidae Small

Key Characteristics: hardened front Shapes: wings, distinct mouthparts Narrow Spiders (S) Robust

Round

Seasonality and Range Maps:

In addition to size, all bees have a unique

geographic distribution that changes over

the course of

the season. Us- Common Name: crab spider ing previously Family: Thomisidae collected data, Key Characteristics: four pairs of legs we were able

to prepare a bar

chart for each group, and generate a series 21 22 of maps that show the abundance of each Honey bees (HB) bee group over the course of any given Group Description: Honey bees are me- season. The charts and maps can be used dium to large in size , and usually range as a reference. in color from orange to yellow. The hon-

Pollen Carrying Device: ey bee has stripes on it’s abdomen, and the thorax is often fuzzy. Beware, there Bees collect pollen as a food source. are many flies that mimic honey bees. They inadvertently pollinate plants in the process. Pollen can be carried in two re- Shapes and Sizes: gions on bees, either on the legs, or belly. Pollen Carrying Device: Large flattened

Flight Pattern: plates can be found on the hind legs for carrying pollen. Bees and other insects can sometimes be identified by how they fly. You will no- Plants Visited: Honey bees collect pol- tice that some bees are methodical, mov- len from many different plant groups. ing from one flower to the next and never Our research suggest that over a season, going backwards. Other bees may be honey bees may visit upwards of 90 dif- smooth fliers, lazily move between ferent plant groups. Some of the most fre- plants, or erratic, approaching a flower, quently visited are smartweed, sunflower, then leaving and coming back. white clover, squash, borage, tomatillo, oregano, cilantro, and sow thistle. Methodical: Flight Pattern: Methodical Smooth: Seasonality: Honey bees are typically Erratic: managed by humans and have year round 23 24 colonies. In the spring, these colonies Bumble bees (BB) begin quite small, and steadily build Group Description: Bumble bees have over the season. Honey bees may be bodies that are generally covered in thick most abundant in the fall. fuzzy hair. This hair can be black, yel-

low, orange, or even white. Bumble bees

are medium to large in size with a round

or robust body shape.

Shapes and Sizes:

Range: In the early part of the spring Pollen Carrying Device: Like honey and summer seasons, honey bees may bees, bumble bees have a flattened plate be localized mainly near areas of man- on the hind leg for carrying pollen. agement. As the season progresses, we Plants Visited: Bumble bees can visit a see that honey bees become much more wide range of garden plants. In our study, ubiquitous throughout the landscape. In bumble bees visited approximately 75 the fall, honey bees are highly abundant, different plant species. The most com- particularly in rural areas. monly visited plants were, lavender, to- Spring: mato, phacelia, borage, comfrey, squash,

tomatillo, flatweed, zinnia, pole bean, red

cover, and sunflower. Summer:

Flight Pattern: Looping

Seasonality: Bumble bee queens emerge Fall: in the spring of the year to begin foraging 25 26 and search for a new nest. These colo- Other large bees (OLB) nies can reach several hundred individu- Group Description: Other large bees als by mid-summer. The colony will (OLB) are a cosmopolitan group. For slowly dwindle as new queens are pro- now, this group encompasses bees that duced for the following year. By fall, are slightly smaller to slightly larger than only next year’s queens will remain. the size of a honey bee. These bees can be in the families Apidae, Andrenidae,

and Megachilidae. Body coloration will

range from metallic blue to striped, or

very dark in color. Some OLBs may have

long antennae. Range: Bumble bees are most abundant Shapes and Sizes: outside of urban areas in the early Pollen Carrying Device: Other large spring. By summer, this trend shifts and bees may have hair on the underside of urban areas may have the most bumble their abdomen for carrying pollen, while bees. In the fall, the populations are others may have very hairy hind legs. more abundant in rural areas. Plants Visited: Our data set is limited at Spring: this time., but the data does indicate that

OLBs visit approximately 35 different

Summer: plant groups. The most commonly visited were sunflower, calendula, cosmos,

fringed quickweed, common oregano, Fall: cilantro, zinnia, and mayweed. Some

27 28 OLBs may visit early season fruit trees. Green bees (GB)

Flight Pattern: Smooth Group Description: Green bees are nar-

Seasonality: These bees are most com- row in shape and much smaller than a mon in the spring and summer, although, honey bee. These bees have a metallic they may be much more rare than honey green body, and sometimes a striped ab- bees or bumble bees. domen. Beware, some wasps can look

like green bees.

Shapes and Sizes:

Pollen Carrying Device: Look for hair and pollen on the hind legs. These bees

will not carry large amounts of pollen on Range: Our data indicate that OLBs may the bottom of their abdomen. be most abundant in urban areas during Plants Visited: Green bees may be much the summer months, while in the spring, more selective in the plants they visit some rural areas may have greater popu- compared to any other group we have lations. By fall, these bees may not be discussed thus far. Our results indicate widely found in the landscape. that they may visit approximately 19 dif- Spring: ferent plant groups, and may favor plants

in the Asteraceae family. Examples of

Summer: popular plants for green bees include cos-

mos, sunflower, and calendula.

Flight Pattern: Erratic Fall: Seasonality: Green bees seem to be fair- 29 30 ly stable in their numbers throughout the Small bees (SB) season, although, they may be fewer in Group Description: Small bees will typ- number than honey bees and bumble ically appear to be black, but my have a bees. These bees may also be more diffi- black abdomen with white stripes. In cult to observe because of their erratic some very rare cases, the abdomen of a flight. Once you have a trained eye, you very small bee will be red and hairless. may begin to see them more often. These are the cuckoo bees. There are

very tiny bees within this group that can

be identified by a pointy abdomen.

Shapes and Sizes:

Pollen Carrying Device: Some bees

Range: In the spring and summer green within this group carry pollen on their bees appear to be most common in rural hind legs. Cuckoo bees will not have a areas. Late in the season, this trend may pollen carrying device at all. shift and urban areas may see more green Plants Visited: We’ve found small bees bees than the surrounding countryside. on approximately 41 plants in the South

Puget Sound Region. These plants in- Spring: clude flatweed, cilantro, buckwheat, ca-

lendula, borage, dill, sowthistle, fringed

Summer: quickweed, smartweed, and many more.

Flight Pattern: Erratic

Seasonality: Small bees may be more Fall: commonly found in the spring and sum- 31 32 mer. These bees are difficult to observe Group Index because they move very quickly and fly Symbol Category in an erratic manner. Make sure to look closely at flowers when observing these honey bee bees, since they are quite small and easy bumble bee to miss. Other large bees

Green bees

Small bees

Butterfly Range: In the spring, small bees appear to be most abundant in the Seattle Area, Wasps and rural areas south of Olympia. By Flies summer and fall, small bees may be less Bugs abundant throughout the South Puget Beetles Sound Region.

Spiders Spring:

Summer:

Fall:

33 34

Floral Visitor Page Code Numbers

HB 11, 24

BB 11, 12, 26 Bee Groups

13, 14, 15, OLB 28

GB 15, 16, 30

SB 17, 18, 32

BTF 19

W 19 Other Floral Visitors

F 20

BG 20

BTL 21

S 21

35 36 Contributors

Dr. David Crowder, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Rachel Olsson, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Bob Redmond, The Common Acre, Seattle, WA

Emily Bishton, Green Light Gardening, Seattle, WA

Acknowledgements

This is guide was published with funding

from the National Science Foundation

(NSF) and western Sustainable Agricul-

ture Research and Education (wSARE).

Additional support was provided by the

Washington State Department of Agricul-

ture and Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Disclaimer: This material is based upon

work supported by the National Science

Foundation Graduate Research Fellow-

37 38 ship under Grant No. (124006-001). Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or rec- ommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not nec-

essarily reflect the views of the National

Science Foundation.

The Author

Elias H. Bloom is a Graduate Student of

Entomology at Washington State Univer-

sity, Pullman, WA. He grew up in Thank You! Nebraska where his family owns and op- erates a small-scale organic farm. Bloom taught Introduction to Horticulture, Plant

Propagation, and Insect Identification at

the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

where he received his Bachelors of Sci- ence in Horticulture and Entomology. His current research at Washington State Uni-

versity seeks to evaluate the bee species of small, diverse, farms of western Wash-

ington, and develop techniques for aug-

menting habitat.

39 40