Territorial-male
Guides
Melissodes illatus
Valiant Long-horned Bee
Melissodes illatus is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae, commonly known as the Valiant Long-horned Bee. It belongs to a genus characterized by males with exceptionally long antennae and territorial behavior. Like other Melissodes species, it is a solitary ground-nesting bee and an important native pollinator. The species has been documented across North America, with observation records from regions including Vermont.
Philanthus gibbosus
Hump-backed Beewolf, Beewolf
Philanthus gibbosus, commonly known as the hump-backed beewolf, is a solitary bee-hunting wasp and the most common and widespread member of its genus in North America. Females construct underground burrows in sandy soils and provision them with paralyzed bees as food for their larvae. The species exhibits a bivoltine life cycle with two generations per year, and shows a tendency toward temporary communal nesting behavior unusual for solitary wasps.