California-native-bee
Guides
Triepeolus eliseae
Elise's Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus eliseae is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, described by Rightmyer in 2017. As a member of the genus Triepeolus, it is a cleptoparasite that lays eggs in the nests of other bees rather than constructing its own nests or gathering pollen. The species is known from California and is associated with native bee communities in grassland and prairie habitats. Like other Triepeolus species, it is a specialist parasite of long-horned bees (Melissodes and related genera).
Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex
Foothill Carpenter Bee, Mountain Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, commonly known as the foothill or mountain carpenter bee, is the smallest of three carpenter bee species in California. Females are solid black with light smoky-colored wings, while males display bright yellow markings on the lower face and yellow hairs on the top front of the thorax. This subspecies exhibits incipient social behavior—lacking queens, hives, and honey production—yet research has revealed it harbors gut bacterial communities remarkably similar to those of highly social bees like honey bees and bumble bees. It nests by tunneling into dead wood and serves as an important pollinator in native plant communities.