B: Small yellow marking in the centre of the face. AĪ: Sides of abdomen are relatively parallel before tapering to a point. Note: The large toonie-sized bees also known as “carpenter bees” ( Xylocopa species) are in the same family as small carpenter bees, but are not found as far north as Ottawa. Their overall wider and shinier body, as well as the ridges along the body of carpenter bees, also help to set them apart from yellow-masked bees.
Individuals of this genus also often have yellow markings on their faces however, unlike those of yellow-masked bees, they are typically much less conspicuous and show up only as a single small spot in the centre of the bee’s face. Female small carpenter bees have a unique abdominal shape, with the sides of the abdomen relatively parallel before coming together in a point. Named for their habit of nesting in old wood (e.g., stems of dead and broken twigs), small carpenter bees typically look black in the field, but a closer look can reveal their lighter metallic blue colour (sometimes greenish). AĪ & B: Female Hylaeus annulatus with yellow markings along the face (photo B from Discover Life). Females of this genus transport pollen by ingesting it directly off the flower and regurgitating it out for the young in their nests. However, yellow-masked bees are practically hairless. Most species in this genus sport yellow (sometimes white) markings on their face and legs – a characteristic not seen in most other bees encountered in our region (but see “Small carpenter bees” below).įemale bees of other species generally transport pollen by carrying it on the many hairs along their bodies. Look out for these small, sleek, yellow and black bees. But if one is patient enough to get a good look at one, there are a couple of general characteristics that may be helpful for identifying these bees at least to genus. The size and often superficially wasp-like characteristics of little black bees make them even more difficult to identify. Who are those “little black bees”? Identifying bees to species on the fly can be difficult, as the traits that differentiate them are typically indistinguishable unless the bee is euthanized and inspected under a microscope. When I was first learning to identify bees, my notebook was filled with relatively unambiguous counts of Agapostemon, Bombus, and Melissodes, along with a spatter of entries recorded simply as “little black bee.” I eventually learned that those little black bees represent an extraordinarily diverse assemblage, and that my casual label was lumping numerous species across multiple genera together. Other bees are less generous with traits that allow for such effortless identification.
Take the striking green, yellow, and black of bicoloured sweat bees ( Agapostemon virescens), the tremendously fuzzy bodies of bumble bees ( Bombus species), and the long antennae of the aptly named long-horned bees ( Melissodes species) as examples. When it comes to identifying bees on the wing, certain species or genera tend to stand out. By Lydia Wong (with expert contributions from Eden Gerner)
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