Epeolus novomexicanus
I found these little hovering bees near some Sand Wasp nests on Antelope Island. I first thought they
were Sand Wasps but realized they must be something else. They would hover and then check out
some of the holes in the sand. I suspected they might be cuckoo bees. © Carol Davis 9-27-2016
I was able to get some air shots of them because they would hover in
place for quite a while. I couldn't get close to them or they would
scatter, so I used my telephoto lens. © Carol Davis 9-27-2016
There appeared to be a hole right next to this dead plant that the bees kept
checking out. In fact, that next photo shows one of them just parked on a stem
scouring the whole area. © Carol Davis 9-27-2016
I wish I could have gotten better photos, but the glare off the sand was bright and the
bees were little. © Carol Davis 9-27-2016
I found out from Dr. John Ascher on Bugguide this week (5-2018) that
these are Epeolus novomexicanus. I have another picture of a female of
this species that I took in 2008 that was also identified this year (2018)
by Dr. John Ascher on Bugguide. © Carol Davis 9-27-2016
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