Posts Tagged: territorial males

Boys' Night Out: Let's Have a Slumber Party!

Let's have a slumber party! Don't bring a pillow, a night-cap or an attitude—it's Boys' Night Out and we're sleeping outside on the...

Boys' Night Out--Five male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, sleeping on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Boys' Night Out--Five male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, sleeping on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good morning! A longhorned male bee, Melissodes agilis, begins to move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good morning! A longhorned male bee, Melissodes agilis, begins to move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

During the day, the male Melissodes agilis species are quite territorial. Here one male M. agilis targets a monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

During the day, the male Melissodes agilis species are quite territorial. Here one male M. agilis targets a monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Just Being Totally Territorial

What was that! If you grow Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia) in your pollinator garden, you've probably noticed the fast-flying longhorned male bees...

A male longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, targets the back of a painted lady, Vanessa cardui, on a Mexican sunflower in a Vacaville pollinator garden. This is typical territorial behavior. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, targets the back of a painted lady, Vanessa cardui, on a Mexican sunflower in a Vacaville pollinator garden. This is typical territorial behavior. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Heads up! A male longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, heads straight for the painted lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Heads up! A male longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, heads straight for the painted lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch butterfly is interrupted by a male longhorned bee engaging in territorial behavior. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch butterfly is interrupted by a male longhorned bee engaging in territorial behavior. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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