>Can anyone help me identify a strange bee, which I have never observed
>before?  I live
>in South Florida between Bellglade and West Palm Beach, near Lion Country
>Safari.  I
>have seen ground nesting bees that are about the size of A. Mellifera.  They
>have
>several horizontal dark bands seperated by a greenish, gray color.  The
>lower part of
>the abdomen is bright yellow.  I have observed them harvesting pollen and
>nectar from
>weeds and comming and going from their nest.  These are very noisy bees and
>make a
>buzzing sound similar to that of drone.
> Carl Mueller     Email: [log in to unmask]
> West Palm Beach, Florida USA
 
From the size, description of their noisiness, and "bright yellow lower
part" the diagnosis is that they're probably leaf-cutter bees, in the genus
Megachile. There are only around 100 native bees in South Florida, and
Megachile are about as noisy as they get. They also carry pollen on the
underside of the abdomen, which would make it appear bright yellow. There's
a lesser possibility it's a Colletes or some other bee, which aren't nearly
so voluble. If you're really curious, collect a few, as there's no other
way to be sure.
Cheers,
 
Doug Yanega      Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820 USA     phone (217) 244-6817, fax (217) 333-4949
  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82