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Old 06-20-2016, 05:52 PM   #1
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Default Who is this little guy (or gal)?

Found enjoying itself on purple coneflower and rudbeckia this morning--greener than any bee I have ever seen. Is this a bee mimic of some kind?
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Old 06-20-2016, 06:05 PM   #2
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Not sure--not my expertise at all...but it is a beauty.

Looks pretty much like this one: Green, Yellow, and Black Small Bee? - Agapostemon - BugGuide.Net
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Old 06-21-2016, 12:40 AM   #3
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You got it Dap Agapostemon virescens.
metallic green bee - Agapostemon virescens - BugGuide.Net
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Old 06-21-2016, 12:57 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebek56 View Post
Found enjoying itself on purple coneflower and rudbeckia this morning--greener than any bee I have ever seen. Is this a bee mimic of some kind?
No it is a solitary native bee. A ground nester.

Commonly called a sweat bee The Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens) is a North American bee with metallic green head and abdomen. Females have a black abdomen with pale whitish bands, but sometimes the abdomen is all black. Males have a dark abdomen with bright yellow bands.
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Old 06-21-2016, 06:07 AM   #5
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I had never seen one before--gorgeous little critter.
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Old 06-21-2016, 11:06 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gloria View Post
You got it Dap Agapostemon virescens.
metallic green bee - Agapostemon virescens - BugGuide.Net
Cool!

Image searches work wonders.
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Old 06-21-2016, 11:10 AM   #7
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We have lots of them, they really like the oak-leaf hydrangea right now where dozens will feed on one bloom. They can be a bit annoying as they are attracted to the salt on your skin and may pinch or sting when shooing them off. It's not very painful, just an annoyance. They are such important pollinators it's easy to tolerate them. They will nest on any open soil.
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Old 06-21-2016, 01:39 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by linrose View Post
We have lots of them, they really like the oak-leaf hydrangea right now where dozens will feed on one bloom. They can be a bit annoying as they are attracted to the salt on your skin and may pinch or sting when shooing them off. It's not very painful, just an annoyance. They are such important pollinators it's easy to tolerate them. They will nest on any open soil.
I remember, as a kid, being stung by what we called sweat bees. Now, all of these years later, I welcome them--and seem not to have noticed them stinging me as an adult. Interesting.

I'm happy to have them. (Although, I've yet to notice them this year.)
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Old 06-23-2016, 10:33 AM   #9
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They are really pretty
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Old 06-25-2016, 02:50 PM   #10
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I have them in my garden, but have never noticed the stinging or biting. There are so many kinds of native bees that you never see unless you really look closely.
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