Beetle buzzing around the bottlebrush

xxx

Joan are you sure that's a beetle?

Joan is that what you folks in africa call it a beetle. looks more like some sort of bee to me. nice try with the inflight shot too.

Bill

definitely not a beetle - they have second pair of wings modified as wing cases. Looks like a Bee with pollen baskets. Good flight capture.

Toby did you change your avator again today.

Bill

Thanks Scott, Bill and Toby. I do not have a CLUE what it is!!! LOL!! My knowledge of the insect world is zero!! It is about 2cm in length and definitely not like the bees I posted earlier, it buzzes around like a bee and collects pollen and also does not have the hard shell exterior of a beetle.....so help with ID would be appreciated. Ask me any question about animals though and I will be able to give you an answer. Ha! Ha!

Very nice captures Joan, looks like some type of Digger Bee

Lovely bee and bottlebrush
Brian V.

Nice shots Joan. I love Bottle brushes, but they won't grow in my garden.

Sorry, can't help with the ID.

Thanks for the nice comments Craig, BrianV and Bernie!!!

I had a look on Bugguide and the closest I could come to it was Melissodes bimaculata but this has white stripes under the belly as well whereas mine does not??

The bottlebrush is lovely Bernie...is it too cold there by you that it does not grow?

nearest thing we have is Violet Carpenter Bee so it may well be from the Xylocopa family.

Nice in flight shot well done.

Lovely shots Joan

racketman wrote in post #4019124
nearest thing we have is Violet Carpenter Bee so it may well be from the Xylocopa family.

Thanks Toby....I will see if I can find more pics of this family!!

Thanks for the nice comments Brian and Alby!!

Photogirl2007 wrote in post #4018650
TThe bottlebrush is lovely Bernie...is it too cold there by you that it does not grow?

I don't think it likes alkaline soil and wet clay, without taking the cold into consideration... I did have one in a pot, but it was caught by a late frost and never recovered...