Pollinator Posts by May Chen

I have come to the Skyline Gardens in the afternoon, hoping it would be sunny and warm.  Boy, am I wrong!  It is cold and foggy up here in the hills, and the wind is

In shady, moist locations along Skyline Trail near the Siesta Gate, the Pacific Ninebark, Physocarpus capitatus has started to bloom.  The dense deciduous shrub in the rose family is native to western North America.  The

What a pretty rear end! A Malachite Beetle, Malachius auritus (family Melyridae, subfamily Malachiinae) is exploring an inflorescence of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica. The Malachite Beetle (subfamily Melachiinae) is a member of the family of Soft-winged

A Metallic Sweat Bee, Lasioglossum (Dialictus) sp. (family Halictidae) is collecting pollen from a flower of Sticky Cinquefoil, Drymocallis glandulosa.   Dialictus is a subgenus of sweat bees belonging to the genus Lasioglossum (family Halictidae).

Preferring a more shady habitat, the Broadleaf Lupine, Lupinus latifolius blooms later than the Silverleaf Lupines, Lupinus albifrons.  A Black-tailed Bumble Bee, Bombus melanopygus is foraging on a spike of flowers of Broadleaf Lupine.  

On this warm, sunny afternoon, bee activity is on full throttle in the patch of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica at Siesta Gate.  It’s great to see so many Yellow-faced Bumble Bees, Bombus vosnesenskii out foraging.

A small orange insect is partially hidden in an inflorescence of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica.   A side view shows a rather flat body. Close-up of the beetle shows a large black heart-shaped marking on

An inflorescence of Yarrow, Achillea millefolium seems to be writhing with what look like small, shiny black, elongated insects.  They are very active and fast moving.  It is difficult to see one clearly.   These are

Hey, there’s a new bee in the garden!  Fast and furious, it buzzes around the inflorescences of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica.  Built like a bumble bee, it is chuncky, but is a plain gray-brown all

There is little insect activity on the Cobweb Thistle, Cirsium occidentale growing on the side of the road to the Water Tank.  Not much has changed with the Syrphid pupa. The American Winter Ants are

Fog is billowing through the hills as I arrive at Siesta Gate this morning.  The California Phacelia, Phacelia californica at Siesta Gate is covered with dew drops.  These plants get a lot of their moisture

A wet bee seems to have just woken up and is grooming itself on a floral umbel of Cow Parsnip, Heracleum maximum.  It appears to be a Cellophane Bee, Colletes sp. (family Colletidae). The bee

The Black-tailed Bumble Bees, Bombus melanopygus are usually the first species of bumble bees to appear in early spring in the Bay Area.  They seem to persist much longer this year, with the decline of

A Yellow-faced Bumble Bee, Bombus vosnesenskii drops in on a California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica. The bee immediately gets on her side to work on the numerous large anthers.  She shimmies her body, occasionally giving off

It is mid May – time to enjoy one of nature’s intriguing spectacles right in our local parks.  On this warm day at 11am I walk on West Ridge Trail starting from the Skyline Gate

A male Globetail Hoverfly, Sphaerophoria sp.(family Syrphidae) visits the flowers of Cow Parsnip, Heracleum maximum. Hoverflies in the genus Sphaerophoria are small and slender, 5.6-12 mm long.  The males are easily recognizable for their cylindrical

A White-bowed Smoothwing Hoverfly, Scaeva affinis (family Syrphidae) is visiting an inflorescence of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica.  The fly is a male, as evidenced by its holoptic eyes that meet along a central line on

A Mason Wasp, Stenodynerus sp. (family Vespidae) forages among the flowers of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica. “Mason wasps” refers to a group of closely related wasps belonging to the Eumeninae subfamily of the Vespidae family.  The subfamily

Soon after Karen and I greet each other at Siesta Gate, we spot this large black beetle running on the ground.  Having seen one just a week ago, I recognize it as the California Night-stalking

Several Cobweb Thistles, Cirsium occidentale have grown up along the paved road to the Water Tank.  This tall, spindly plant is already bearing some impressive young flowerheads. I check the plant for aphids, and am

Arriving at Siesta Gate, I am elated to find several Yellow-faced Bumble Bees, Bombus vosnesenskii buzzing around the freshly opened flowers of California Phacelia, Phacelia californica.  There have been so few of the bees this year, the

Taking a walk in a leafy neighborhood in Berkeley, I come across this male Foothill Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis ssp. orpifex (family Apidae) perched on a flower of Roseleaf Sage, Salvia involucrata.   There are

While the European Honey Bees, Apis mellifera (family Apidae) are commonly seen at the Skyline Gardens, they have yet to make a strong appearance this year.  This worker has collected a sizable load of pollen

Rain or shine, the Cow Parsnip, Heracleum maximum greets the sky with upraised floral umbels.   Many insects enjoy the generosity of Cow Parsnip.  Numerous flowers are crowded onto each umbel – collecting pollen or