digger bees_2937
The bees hovering in front of the entrance tubes in the bank face are female solitary ground nesting “Digger Bees.” The species is Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana. The species name indicates that it is a bumble bee mimic! These bees need a source of fresh water nearby. Females suck up water, regurgitate it on the sandstone bank surface, then dig away at the soft mud. They use some of the mud to build entrance turrets, presumably to help them locate their nests within the aggregation of nests. Source: Robbin Thorp.
digger bees_2937
The bees hovering in front of the entrance tubes in the bank face are female solitary ground nesting “Digger Bees.” The species is Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana. The species name indicates that it is a bumble bee mimic! These bees need a source of fresh water nearby. Females suck up water, regurgitate it on the sandstone bank surface, then dig away at the soft mud. They use some of the mud to build entrance turrets, presumably to help them locate their nests within the aggregation of nests. Source: Robbin Thorp.