The
Baccharis sarothroides that we planted nine years ago (and which normally lives at slightly lower elevations) continues to flower...and flower, and flower. The rains seem to have created the ideal flowering conditions for them, as I don't remember them being quite this rich in prior years (although they flower every fall).
Pepsis mildei and
Pepsis thisbe (and possibly
P. pallidolimbata, but hard to tell due to wing wear) and the most abundant visitors, with
P. mildei (with the orange antennae) being the most numerous.
I saw no
Pepsis mildei over the summer at the milkweed. Those
Pepsis seemed to be
P. thisbe primarily.
 |
| The luxuriously flowering Baccharus. This is only a small fraction of it. |
 |
| Pepsis mildei male. He has 11 flagellomeres (long segments) on his antennae (females have 10). |
 |
| Orange antennae and dark margins on the wings identify this species (at least in this region). |
 |
| I believe that this is a Pepsis thisbe male, due to the amount of hyaline (clear) edging on the wing tips. |
 |
| A large bumblebee (likely a queen). Looks like Bombus occidentalis, but I am not certain yet. |
 |
| This bee slowly moved from flower to flower... |
