Metallic Sweat Bee (Agapostemon) on first flower of Small Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria exigua, Asteraceae)
This is a beautiful emerald-green Metallic Sweat Bee (Agapostemon, Halictidae, Anthophoridae, Hymenoptera) working a new summer flower of (I think) native Small Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria exigua) in the Asteraceae plant family. It has full pollen baskets. It's a small plant, only a foot tall, but the flowers are rather pretty if you get down on your hands and knees to appreciate them. The flowers are almost identical to the Stephanomeria virgata which hasn't started flowering yet, but it has fewer petals and is much smaller. These are the first flowers I've seen this year. (East Camino Cielo, Santa Ynez Mountains, 13 June 2015)
Metallic Sweat Bee (Agapostemon) on first flower of Small Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria exigua, Asteraceae)
This is a beautiful emerald-green Metallic Sweat Bee (Agapostemon, Halictidae, Anthophoridae, Hymenoptera) working a new summer flower of (I think) native Small Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria exigua) in the Asteraceae plant family. It has full pollen baskets. It's a small plant, only a foot tall, but the flowers are rather pretty if you get down on your hands and knees to appreciate them. The flowers are almost identical to the Stephanomeria virgata which hasn't started flowering yet, but it has fewer petals and is much smaller. These are the first flowers I've seen this year. (East Camino Cielo, Santa Ynez Mountains, 13 June 2015)