A female leafcutter bee approaches her nest with a piece of leaf. Female leafcutter bees build their nest chambers with cut leaves & flower petals. They are important native pollinators. #Bees#Pollinators#Biodiversity
Nice day for some gardening. It’s surprising to see this native bee foraging at this time of year—likely due to the unusually warm November. It is one of the smallest bees, even smaller than a single petal of a mustard or canola flower! #Bees#biodiversity#photoghraphy #GardenersWorld
A monarch butterfly nectaring on a late-season flower in the backyard garden. Nectar is essential for monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico, providing the sugar needed to fuel their flight muscles and sustain them on their ~3,000-mile journey.
Happy Pollinator Week 2024! Establishing pollinator habitats with native plants is crucial for conservation.👇One of our research sites on roadside habitat restoration work, led by Prof. Richardson @ArkansasTurf, Drs. Bertucci, Philipp, & myself. We greatly appreciate the support from ARDoT & UADA AES @ArkAgResearch
A bumble bee transporting pollen. Like honey bees, bumble bees collect pollen from flowers in pollen baskets (which are specialized structures) located on their hind legs.
#pollinator # bumblebee #bees#wildlife#photography#nature
Beetles are remarkable for being not only the most diverse group of insects but also the largest family of insects. They make up around a quarter of all documented animal species on Earth!