One,
…two,
…three.
…little honeybees.
Last year at about this time, I noticed some stunning metallic blue bees buzzing around my newly installed native bee houses. They worked quickly to fill some of the holes and bamboo pieces in the homes, then they disappeared from my sight and garden. Many different native bee species–big, small, shiny, fuzzy–followed those early blue gals during the growing season. But that startling blue pollinator was a nice introduction to a long period of native bee activity.
These early spring blue beauties are Blue Orchard Mason bees, Osmia lignaria and they’re making their appearance again.
Earlier this week, I spotted one working at a small cluster of a salmon colored Autumn sage, Salvia greggii and thought that perhaps I should pay closer attention to what’s going on with the native bee houses as spring is in its infancy. Sure enough, some of the mud nests have been breached and there they are: blue bee adults emerged, mating, (I assume. I don’t watch.) and are in the process of busily preparing for the next generation of Blue Orchard bees.
You can clearly see holes that have been opened in the packed mud and that’s where the adults emerged from.
Interestingly, according the the information from the US Department of Agriculture that I linked to above, the eggs or “brood cells” that are laid first are female and placed at the back of the nesting hole and the last eggs laid at the front of each hole, are male. The female bee packs the hole with pollen and mud for security, tucking in the brood safely for the year. In case of predation, the male brood are the first in line to get eaten, thus assuring more protection for the females. Poor guys, but the females are more important in survival of the species.
I observed two adults flying around the bee house, entering various holes and most likely laying eggs There are more than two holes opened in the packed mud nests, indicating that more than just these two adults have emerged.
Blue Orchard bees have a short life, but are vital for pollinating the early spring blooms, including those of fruit trees.
Not only did the Blue Orchard bees find a nice nursery and baby-bee day care in the bee houses, but other bee species laid eggs in neighboring holes last year. Those will emerge in their due time–whenever that is.
I know that a different species of carpenter bee, a Horsefly-like Carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis. drilled and packed nests in a few spots of the mortar between limestone rock of my home to protect their progeny. It looks like an adult has emerged,
…though I haven’t seen one yet. I look forward to watching these charming, blue-eyed carpenter bees sporting their cool racing stripes as they zing from flower to flower. This species is active for most of the year.
Isn’t she a cutey?
I suppose there aren’t many bad pollinators, but I’ve certainly relished the good work of pollinators in my garden this autumn and, in fact, for the whole of this past growing season. Today is the first Wednesday of the month and time to appreciate those who require and benefit from our efforts as gardeners.
Gardeners garden. It’s what we do. Neophyte gardeners are first attracted to the multitudes of choices with blooms-n-foliage, as well as the endless arrangements therein as we delve into the joys of augmenting personal outdoor space. But sooner or later, we notice those who “visit” our gardens: pollinators, birds, mammals, reptiles. With greater observation and understanding, the notion of garden beauty morphs into more than an emphasis on the human-focused composition of plants to a recognition of the purpose of those plants, as well as the gardener’s role in promoting a healthy, diverse environment. For many gardeners, the drive to attract wildlife to our particular slice of the Earth spurs deeper learning about plants and the processes of wildlife gardening.
When I was traveling in October, a neighbor sent me a Facebook message with a photo attached, wondering what “this” butterfly was. I didn’t have time during my travels to research, but did take a look at on-line butterfly sources once I returned home. In my own garden, I observed this Tailed Orange, Pyrisitia proterpia, working blooms one afternoon.
I sent my Tailed Orange link to the neighbor and she delightedly affirmed that “my” Tailed Orange was “her” butterfly, too. Score! While probably not the same individual butterfly, clearly this was a species hanging around the neighborhood.
Tailed Orange butterflies are fast flyers, the adults nectaring on many flowers as they move rapidly from one to another. Tailed Orange butterflies prefer plants in the pea (Fabaceae) family as their hosts.
Another cheery autumn yellow butterfly common in Texas most years is the Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae.
Also utilizing host plants in the Fabaceae family, this butterfly graces my garden annually from the end of summer, well into early winter. I grow the native Lindheimer’s senna, Senna lindheimeriana,
…which is a likely plant (check out the species name of the insect!) in which these butterflies lay their eggs. In the future, I’ll need to keep a keener eye out for the larvae on the leaves and snatch a photo of the juveniles of this insect.
Queens, Danaus gilippus, which are year-round residents here,
…and a few straggler migrating Monarchs, Danaus plexippus,
…continued their regular visits, though I haven’t seen a Monarch since mid-November.
This little cutey, a Spotted Beet Webworm Moth, Hymenia perspectalis, rested on a Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea,
…while this Clouded Skipper, Lerema accius, contemplated a shuttered Rock rose, Pavonia lasiopetala bloom.
Another skipper, a Tropical Checkered Skipper, Pyrgus oileus, was loathed to pose for a photograph in the bright Texas sun, but eventually, relented.
It enjoyed the bounty of a Rock rose flower, which is a member of the family (Malvaceae) that this butterfly requires as its host. The checkerboard pattern on the upper wings,
…and its “hairy” body were the keys for identifying this butterfly.
I often see Grey Hairstreaks in the garden but this past month I enjoyed a Mallow Scrub Hairstreak, Strymon istapa, as it visited several flowers in the aster or Asteraceae family.
Hairstreaks are such pretty butterflies, with subtle coloring and unique markings.
A Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia,
…a Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae,
…an American Painted Lady, Vanessa virginiensis,
…and a Southern Dogface, Zerene cesonia,
…all are typical butterflies which contributed to the mass of butterfly/moth activity gracing my November garden.
It wasn’t just about butterflies and moths this month, though. There were beetles–lots of beetles–in the garden this past month.
They employ some sipping of the nectar, but also cause a little damage leaves and petals during their feedings. Does that make them bad pollinators? Nah, I never met a pollinator that I didn’t love. Or, at least tolerate.
Additionally, native bees were out in force in the last weeks of full-bloom garden action. Throughout summer, I’d catch a glimpse of a stunning metallic green bee, but I was never fast or organized enough to document its activity–until this month!
I’m fairly sure that this gorgeous bee is a Green metallic bee, Agapostemon texanus.
Though rare, this species of wild bee are seen in this part of Texas. I was pleased to watch her work the flowers of a Goldeneye, Viguiera dentata.
Also enjoying fall-blooming Goldeneye, were two kinds of Sweat bees:
Lasioglossum spp.
…and Halictus tripartitus.
A Small carpenter bee, Ceratina sp., nectared and gathered pollen from a Rock rose.
Identifying native bees is tricky because there’s just not that much research on these important pollinators. To help me figure out what I’m seeing in my garden, I use a site hosted by an entomologist at The University of Texas, Professor Shalene Jha, who studies Texas native bees. The site focuses on native ecosystems and native bee sightings in wildlife preserves. The information on the native bees is local and relevant to Texas, the photos of these bees, remarkable.
Not a pollinator, but a regular contributor to Wildlife Wednesdays, this juvenile Anole lizard is most likely making his/her last appearance for a while.
I might spot one from time-to-time over the course of the next few months, but they’ll be nicely tucked in for our (usually) mild winter.
Did wildlife visit your garden this past month? Please post for December Wildlife Wednesday. Share the rare or mundane, funny or fascinating, beneficial or harmful critters you encounter. When you comment on my post, please remember to leave a link to your Wildlife Wednesday post so readers can enjoy a variety of garden wildlife observations.