Pugnacious leafcutter females can be distinguished by their almost comically large mandibles. They are longer in length than her eye! Like all Megachilid species, females also have specialized pollen-carrying hairs called scopae along the underbelly of their abdomens. The scopae tend to be bright yellow in color. They can be beneficial for food crop pollination, as well for crops such as melon, peas and cranberries. The pugnacious leafcutters get their name from the female bees’ irascible defense of their nest sites! (Bees and Blooms)
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Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Canon 60D
Canon 70-300mm IS USM @ 180mm
f/9.5
1/1500 sec.
ISO 2000
Hand Held
Processed in ACR and PSE 2020 for exposure and cropping. Topaz De-noise applied.
Terry, I really appreciate the background you provided on this bee. I like both shots, but prefer the second one best. The first one seems too green throughout the image, on my monitor. The second one the colors look natural. I also always prefer being able to see as much of the face and eyes, so that too could be part of my choice. i still haven’t seen many bees this year. I’m not sure why.
Thanks, Shirley. I liked the two photos for different reasons, so decided to post both. I do seem to have more bees this year than in years past; who knows why? Hope you get to see more.
Hi Terry, I also like the second best with a good look at the bee’s head. I also find the cut off foreground flower rather distracting in the first image. Very cool subject and nicely placed on the flower.
Hi Terry I like both photos. And thanks for the bg story. You can really see the pollen on the underside of the belly/abdomen.
If mine I would have a look at a free hand crop of the first with a slice off the left and then thru the middle eliminating the fg flower.
Colors are rich which I don’t mind.
Terry, your comp in the first post is interesting (and nicely different). The bee and the top flower show excellent details. I could see getting closer to eliminate the lower flower, but then you wouldn’t have both the main flower and bee so nicely sharp. I wonder about a vertical version where you have both flowers completely in the frame (leaving the lower one slightly oof). The second shot is “more typical” still with good sharpness, but the flower is significantly beat up. I’m fascinated with the dichotomy of our fixation on perfection, when nature is so rarely perfect.
Excellent observations, Mark. I really liked the first shot with the two flowers “stacked”, but I seem to be the only one. When I get a few minutes, I’ll try a vertical crop, and post it here for your thoughts. As for that beat up coneflower in the second shot, what you say is true. But that bee obviously doesn’t care if that flower isn’t perfect, does he? What’s the old saying? Sometimes even the best teacups are chipped?
