Anthidium manicatum
Leaf-cutting Bee
I first saw this male Wool Carder Bee flying around these blue flowers (blue is their favorite color) chasing all
the other bees away. He would even knock into the female Wool Carder bee but she would just go about her
business and I'm pretty sure I heard her shout "This is the worst date EVER!" © Carol Davis, 8-6-2010
I think this is the little female. She is quite a bit smaller than the male. Females use the down from the Lamb's Ears
plant to line their nests. What's funny about this is that earlier I had seen Lamb's Ears in Red Butte and I had never
noticed them before on previous visits. I couldn't resist bending down to touch the soft leaves, imagining them to feel
just like real lamb's ears. It's nice of Red Butte to have the plant around for this invasive species to use. Wool Carder
Bees are an accidentally introduced species from Europe and buzz with an English accent. © Carol Davis, 8-6-2010
This shot shows the abdomen better. Its coloring, as well as its behavior, makes it stand out from all the other
bees. This was the only time I saw the male land for any period of time and it allowed me to get a couple of
photos. Any quick movement caused it to start darting around in a heated frenzy. © Carol Davis, 8-6-2010
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