Vermont Wild Bee Survey's Journal

Among the many early signs of spring right now is the red wash that appears on maple dominated hills. For the next couple of weeks, Red Maples flowers are perhaps the most abundant flowers in the state. While they might be overlooked by terrestrial humans, they are far from ignored by bees and other insects. There are no known specialists, but one of the common early bees - the Unequal Cellophane Bee (Colletes ineaqualis) - has a strong preference for Red Maple and other flowering trees. Perhaps because of this, Unequal Cellophane Bees are easiest to locate at their nesting colonies. The colonies are most active in April and early May and are known to persist in an area for multiple decades. Look for them in areas of sparsely vegetated lawns and fields, where they appear as a collection of “ant hills” with bee sized openings. Alternatively look for easily accessible Red Maple flowers - on a warm day you may also see Bumble Bees and Mining Bees on these trees. Interestingly not all maple species are equally appealing to bees - Silver and Sugar Maples seem to have fewer, if any bees, while Norway and Red are buzzing. The shrubby species (Stripped and Mountain) bloom later in the spring and attract a different suite of bee species.

Learn more about the Unequal Cellophane Bee here: https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/Colletes%20inaequalis/

And if you aren’t familiar with maple flowers, check out this (and other observations): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42198769

Astute willow watchers will have noticed a change in the color of some willow trees this week - from pale gray to a yellow or pale green. This is a sure sign of spring, and an important one for the bee world - the emergence of pollen on the flowers. Willows are one of the most important early spring flowers for native bees and host to at least 6 specialists in Vermont. Just like willows themselves, identifying willow-visiting bees to species can be very challenging, though a few willow specialists are quite distinctive. From now until early May, it's worth seeking out willows that are in full bloom (yellow/greenish) and easily accessible. If the weather is decent these shrubs/trees will likely be swarming with bees and other insects. Bring a net, telephoto lens, and/or binoculars and see if you can find one of the three field-identifiable mining bees that are willow specialists. All three seem to have distinct distributions in the state, but we don’t have enough records yet to be sure - help us out!

https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/andrena-willows/

If you have posted many bee photos on here, or spent much time looking at other people’s observations, you are probably well aware that some genera are much less likely to be identified to species from photos than others. Among the most unlikely genera to be identified to species are the Nomad Cuckoo Bees (Nomada). These cleptoparasitic bees are abundant, brightly colored, and nearly as diverse as their hosts - primarily Mining Bees (genus Andrena).
While you are unlikely to get identifiable images of Nomad Cuckoos, especially in the spring, there is still value in documenting the phenology, locations, and morphological diversity of this fascinating genus. They can be found on a wide variety of flowers, but are perhaps easiest to locate as they search for nests. Any area with bare soil, especially sand is likely to have nesting bees, and if there are Mining Bees (or other Nomad hosts such as Striped Sweat Bees) present, there will likely be Nomad Bees cruising low over the ground looking for nests to invade. If they aren’t cooperating for photographs, they can be netted and cooled in a cooler or fridge, then placed in a convenient spot to photograph as they warm up. The spring Nomad Cuckoos will mostly be done flying by the end of June, but a distinct group will emerge in late summer to parasitize the fall Mining Bees - luckily the fall Nomad Cuckoos are easier to identify. Look for another post about them this fall.

https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/nomada/

The blooming of spring ephemerals in northern hardwood forests has to be one of the most anticipated and celebrated natural events in the state, and for good reason. A rich area can have a half-dozen different flower species with colors ranging from pure white to blood red. Many of these spring flowers are also crucial to numerous bee species. In addition to bumble bees and other generalists that visit the woods this time of year, there are at least a half dozen Mining Bee species that specialize on spring ephemerals. Many of these flowers are already blooming and as soon as this new snow melts, the bees should be out and about. Once the leaves in the canopy fill in, much of the activity on the forest floor wanes, with at least one exception. Virginia Waterleaf won’t bloom until mid-June, but is perhaps easiest to find right now, when the distinctively spotted young leaves are open. If you come across any now, remember them for a June visit to look for it’s specialist bee.

Check out all VT’s spring ephemeral bees here:
https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/andrena-ephemeral/

If you are feeling like bee identification is a three dimensional game of chess that you will never be able to figure out, you certainly aren’t alone. Many species perpetually confound even the most seasoned experts. Luckily there is one genera that is more like a checkers game - everyone’s favorite, the Bumble Bees (Genus Bombus). While there are a few tricky mimics, most naturalists can recognize a bumble bee, especially the queens. A few of the 13 species currently in Vermont are straightforward to identify, while the hardest are akin to Catharus Thrushes or fall Warblers (for the non-birders: hard, but attainable with enough practice). May is a great time to start learning this group - only the queens are active, which are larger and less variable than the workers and males that emerge later. To help in your learning, we’ve revamped our bumble bee guide, with a page on important morphology and terminology, plus a simplified key that requires minimal prior knowledge.

Check it out, then go see how many species you can find in your neighborhood! https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/bombus/