We have two species which are most reliably told apart by the colour of the pollen brushes. In this case they are so plastered with pollen that it makes id very tricky. Both species are specialized in collecting pollen just from this plant - yellow loosestrife. For nectar they do visit other flowers.

The gardens of Arcen Castle are always a delight to visit. There's much to see for all tastes: formal rose gardens, colorful exhibitions, rambling woods, manicured lawns and many ponds. On the edge of those ponds now many Flowering Rushes, in Dutch called Swanflowers because the pistils are said to resemble those sitting birds. Here a visitor is Macropis europaea, Yellow-loosestrife Bee, lookin for pollen. Just look at the half-open stamen!

Kleptoparasite of Macropis spp.

Found by Gábor Vári.

Macropis europaea

Schenkelbiene

Oil-collecting Bee

Oliebi

Lysingbi

Thanks a lot to all who fave or comment on my photos

After four great weeks:

Good bye SWEDEN ~ Hejdå SVERIGE

Macropis europaea ♀

Oil-collecting Bee

Schenkelbiene

Oliebi

Lysingbi

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

Except for ISO, the EXIF data are incorrect, because the equipment used is not Canon-compatible:

www.flickr.com/photos/99927961@N06/19667784774/in/photoli...

Die EXIF-Daten sind falsch, bis auf den ISO-Wert, weil das Zubehör nicht Canon-kompatibel ist:

www.flickr.com/photos/99927961@N06/19667784774/in/photoli...

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This is a cuckoo of the Macropis spp bees. HWW!

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Wildlife in a lockdown garden. Not sure what bee this is yet, but its tiny only about 10mm in length. Is this Macropis europaea on Lysimachia nummulites.

not my best picture, but these bees aren't common and I was delighted to get any picture at all

Macropis europaea

Schenkelbiene

Oil-collecting Bee

Oliebi

Lysingbi

Thanks a lot to all who fave or comment on my photos

roosting on Lysimachia punctata

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roosting on Lysimachia punctata flower bud on a cool day: Raynox-time! :) Only at close to 2:1 the branched hairs and individual ommatidia become visible.

Macropis europaea ♂

Oil-collecting Bee ... at Blackberry

Schenkelbiene ......... an Brombeere

Oliebi .......................... på Brombær

Body length 9 mm

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

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If you like my pictures of insects in flight, you should visit my special website on insect flight:

www.insektenflug.de

Wenn Ihnen meine Bilder fliegender Insekten gefallen, besuchen Sie bitte meine Homepage speziell zu diesem Thema:

www.insektenflug.de

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PLEASE, NO AWARDS, no Copy and Paste Comments and no group icons like "your wonderful photo was seen in group xyz". They will all be deleted as soon as I see them.

BITTE KEINE AWARDS, kopierte Kommentare oder diese Gruppen-Icons wie "Ich habe Dein wunderbares Bild in Gruppe xyz gesehen". Die lösche ich sobald ich sie sehe.

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Macropis europaea ♀

Oil-collecting Bee

Schenkelbiene

Oliebi

Lysingbi

collecting oil and pollen on Yellow Loosestrift (Lysimachia vulgaris)

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

Except for ISO, the EXIF data are incorrect, because the equipment used is not Canon-compatible:

www.flickr.com/photos/99927961@N06/19667784774/in/photoli...

Die EXIF-Daten sind falsch, bis auf den ISO-Wert, weil das Zubehör nicht Canon-kompatibel ist:

www.flickr.com/photos/99927961@N06/19667784774/in/photoli...

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The yellow-loosestrife bee (Macropis europaea) is, as the name suggests, specialized in gathering pollen from the yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). They can still gather nectar from other plants and since this one, found in the Käringboda nature reserve, is a male he won't gather any pollen for a nest at all and chose a thistle to feed on.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50159318772/

The yellow-loosestrife bee (Macropis europaea) is, as the name suggests, specialized in gathering pollen from the yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). They can still gather nectar from other plants and since this one, found in the Käringboda nature reserve, is a male he won't gather any pollen for a nest at all and chose a thistle to feed on.

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Single shot, cropped image

02.07.2024 Hamburg, Germany

Hatte das Glück das ich die Wildbiene des Jahres 2020 vor die Linse bekommen habe!!

Macropis europaea

The yellow-loosestrife bee (Macropis europaea) is, as the name suggests, specialized in gathering pollen from the yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). They can still gather nectar from other plants and since this one, found in the Käringboda nature reserve, is a male he won't gather any pollen for a nest at all and chose a thistle to feed on.

I initially shot this one using the 100mm (as seen in pt. 1 & 2), but then shifted to the Canon MP-E65mm and got this at 2.7:1 magnification.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50159318772/

Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50298942622/

Range, Eastern Canada through the central and eastern USA. Members of the genus Lysimachia support the following specialized bees: Macropis (Macropis) ciliata, Macropis (Macropis) patellata, and Macropis (Macropis) steironematis. Flowers are star-shaped with 5 yellow petals with a reddish eye. The five stamens are united at the base by a fleshy band that is attached to the petals, giving them the appearance of an upright tube. Flowers bloom from May to August.. Also used as a calmative for livestock.

Epeoloides coecutiens ♂

Cockoo Bee ......... lays its eggs in nests of Melittid bees (Macropis spp.)

Schmuckbiene .... legt ihre Eier in Nester von Schenkelbienen (Macropis spp.)

Pragtbi ................... lægger sine æg i reder af Oliebier (Macropis spp.)

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you like my pictures of insects in flight, you should visit my special website on insect flight:

www.insektenflug.de

Wenn Ihnen meine Bilder fliegender Insekten gefallen, besuchen Sie bitte meine Homepage speziell zu diesem Thema:

www.insektenflug.de

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PLEASE, NO AWARDS, no Copy and Paste Comments and no group icons like "your wonderful photo was seen in group xyz". They will all be deleted sooner or later.

BITTE KEINE AWARDS, kopierte Kommentare oder diese Gruppen-Icons wie "Ich habe Dein wunderbares Bild in Gruppe xyz gesehen". Die lösche ich früher oder später.

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Epeoloides coecutiens ♂

Cockoo Bee ......... lays its eggs in nests of Melittid bees (Macropis spp.)

Schmuckbiene .... legt ihre Eier in Nester von Schenkelbienen (Macropis spp.)

Pragtbi ................... lægger sine æg i reder af Oliebier (Macropis spp.)

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you like my pictures of insects in flight, you should visit my special website on insect flight:

www.insektenflug.de

Wenn Ihnen meine Bilder fliegender Insekten gefallen, besuchen Sie bitte meine Homepage speziell zu diesem Thema:

www.insektenflug.de

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PLEASE, NO AWARDS, no Copy and Paste Comments and no group icons like "your wonderful photo was seen in group xyz". They will all be deleted sooner or later.

BITTE KEINE AWARDS, kopierte Kommentare oder diese Gruppen-Icons wie "Ich habe Dein wunderbares Bild in Gruppe xyz gesehen". Die lösche ich früher oder später.

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Another new bee in the garden, at least the first time I saw this one.

The yellow-loosestrife bee (Macropis europaea) is, as the name suggests, specialized in gathering pollen from the yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris). They can still gather nectar from other plants and since this one, found in the Käringboda nature reserve, is a male he won't gather any pollen for a nest at all and chose a thistle to feed on.

I initially shot this one using the 100mm (as seen in pt. 1 & 2), but then shifted to the Canon MP-E65mm and got a shot at 2.7:1 magnification (pt. 3) before taking two shots at 3:1 and combining them into this one using Zerene Stacker.

Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50159318772/

Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50298942622/

Part 3 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/50556767432/

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De Weerribben, The Netherlands

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ladies' bedroom more comfy than the boys' bunkbeds upstairs

Epeoloides coecutiens ♂

Cockoo Bee ......... lays its eggs in nests of Melittid bees (Macropis spp.)

Schmuckbiene .... legt ihre Eier in Nester von Schenkelbienen (Macropis spp.)

Pragtbi ................... lægger sine æg i reder af Oliebier (Macropis spp.)

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you like my pictures of insects in flight, you should visit my special website on insect flight:

www.insektenflug.de

Wenn Ihnen meine Bilder fliegender Insekten gefallen, besuchen Sie bitte meine Homepage speziell zu diesem Thema:

www.insektenflug.de

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PLEASE, NO AWARDS, no Copy and Paste Comments and no group icons like "your wonderful photo was seen in group xyz". They will all be deleted sooner or later.

BITTE KEINE AWARDS, kopierte Kommentare oder diese Gruppen-Icons wie "Ich habe Dein wunderbares Bild in Gruppe xyz gesehen". Die lösche ich früher oder später.

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Macropis europaea female (Hym. Melittidae), 10.viii.2021, Blekkerbos, Aalter, Belgium.

Macropis europaea

Macropis spec. ♀ in Lysimachia vulgaris

Oil-collecting Bee ... collecting oil and pollen on Yellow Loosestrift

Schenkelbiene ........ sammelt Öl und Pollen auf Gilbweiderich

Oliebi ......................... samler olie og pollen på Almindelig Fredløs

Exposure time (= flash duration): 50 µs = 1/20.000 s

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you like my pictures of insects in flight, you should visit my special website on insect flight:

www.insektenflug.de

Wenn Ihnen meine Bilder fliegender Insekten gefallen, besuchen Sie bitte meine Homepage speziell zu diesem Thema:

www.insektenflug.de

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PLEASE, NO AWARDS, no Copy and Paste Comments and no group icons like "your wonderful photo was seen in group xyz". They will all be deleted sooner or later.

BITTE KEINE AWARDS, kopierte Kommentare oder diese Gruppen-Icons wie "Ich habe Dein wunderbares Bild in Gruppe xyz gesehen". Die lösche ich früher oder später.

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Two very similar angles, but I just wanted to load both images. Very cute, hairy faced, Dorset bees. I spent many, many hours staking these out in the evening when they were settling to roost on the rushes round the pond, then again in the morning. Sometimes they curled up to sleep inside tiny flowers. Despite spending so much time on these, I haven't done justice to them with DSLR at all, so both shots here are with Pentax Optio W10.

I should have added that the tiny flowers they sleep in are yellow loosestrife, Lysimachia vulgaris. I believe these are the males, so they are already on the spot for females visiting the flowers for oils in the morning.

Many thanks to Bernhard Jakobi for his help to identify Macropis