Defender, Pt. 2 - _TNY_8652
This is a female annulate masked bee (Hylaeus annulatus). She has found a good spot to lay her eggs in a hole right above the garage door at my mother-in-law's place.
So far so good, but unfortunately for her, there are parasites out and about.
She was standing like this outside the hole for quite some time and I think it is because of the Gasteruption boreale parasitic wasps which also hang around the smae place and which I think parasitize this species and lay their own eggs on top of the bee's and the resulting larvae then kills the bee's larvae.
Part one showing the bee more from the side here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52182563184/
Also, I actually found a couple of those wasps right next to this and managed a couple of shots, like this one: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52182315301/
Defender, Pt. 2 - _TNY_8652
This is a female annulate masked bee (Hylaeus annulatus). She has found a good spot to lay her eggs in a hole right above the garage door at my mother-in-law's place.
So far so good, but unfortunately for her, there are parasites out and about.
She was standing like this outside the hole for quite some time and I think it is because of the Gasteruption boreale parasitic wasps which also hang around the smae place and which I think parasitize this species and lay their own eggs on top of the bee's and the resulting larvae then kills the bee's larvae.
Part one showing the bee more from the side here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52182563184/
Also, I actually found a couple of those wasps right next to this and managed a couple of shots, like this one: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52182315301/