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Elizabeth Preston @inkfish.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Entomologist friends! I went for a walk just now (Arlington, MA) and saw two different areas swarming with low-flying bees. Honeybee-sized, a little more drab and fuzzy, looked like they were coming out of holes. Is this a solitary bee's mating spree, perfectly timed to the start of spring? 🧪

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Dr. Rachael E. Bonoan @rachaelebee.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Likely a cellophane bee aggregation! If you look closer, you’ll see them coming and going from their nesting holes in the ground (and possibly some mating).

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Elizabeth Preston @inkfish.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Yes thank you!! I saw some of them grabbing onto each other's backs so I figured that's what they were up to. Also at least one bee looking out from inside a hole like "ah, no thank you"

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Janet Innes @janetinnes.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

I have these in my yard but never knew what they were called, and never heard of cellophane bees until a couple of days ago on iNaturalist! That makes it EIGHT bee species in my urban backyard in RI. Gotta love native plants.

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