September 2023
September’s Special Feature - ID Resources
This month we thought we’d try something a little different and focus on a topic that we thought could be useful. We’ve compiled a list of resources discovered while trying to ID bees….of course looking for the magic key that would make it easier. That doesn’t exist yet, but there are different kinds of keys and different bees they focus on, so they all have unique value. Also Linc has provided a highly anticipated guide to species keys by family! These are the keys on the google drive and this helps us know what to look for in that vast sum of knowledge. We hope this comes in handy as you sort your 2023 bees. (CY)
We’re always looking for interesting stories about our community, region, and bees. Please contribute stories of your adventures or bee projects for fellow melitolligists to enjoy, or as a way to communicate regional events. Email any feedback or submissions to Ellen Silva or Carol Yamada Photo credits are at end of newsletter.
In this issue
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special feature
BEE IDENTIFICATION GUIDES LIST
Microscope Daze. Goodbye, nets, Hello microscopes! It’s that time of year where we are sorting our bees and trying to figure out exactly what we have.
It can be overwhelming - even invading your dreams. But don’t worry! There’s a ton of resources and it’s helpful to try several to see what works best for you wherever you are at in your Bee ID Journey.
Identifying your bees isn't required, you can always turn in your bees without IDs.
OBA RESOURCES
This is the Lab at OSU - great scopes and reference collections!
Favorite - Scope Days! Microscope Days in Corvallis - Look on the calendar for dates starting this month for in-person and online ID days. The greatest deal on the planet! If you can make it down to Corvallis you can work in the lab using high powered microscopes with taxonomists to guide you in the ID process. Double-check before you go if the weather is bad. And this year has a new feature - online microscope events for those who can't commute to campus. Dates and times for these are also on the calendar.
Great too - Local Microscope Days Check in with the people in your area to see if something is set up, like Portland has done in the past at PCC Rock Creek Campus, or consider hosting a bee sorting party or ID event yourself. You'll be delighted at how popular those are. Just say - wanna see some cool bees?
Oregon Bee Atlas videos Remember to review the genera guide lecture modules, Plus check the videos in the Past Lectures Section at the bottom of the module page. There are recorded sessions done in 2020 by our instructors sorting our local bees into genera and subgenera.
Our textbooks The key to the Bee Genera of the Willamette Valley is in our apprentice manual, along with very valuable diagrams and terminology guides. This book, and your bee school books, are great allies for getting ID’s to genera level.
Linc’s lists of species keys by Family These 4 PDF’s will simplify the search for keys in the Taxonomic Resources and Literature located in the Canvas Resources.
And a special bonus for OBA members is access to the foremost bee taxonomist in Oregon, Lincoln Best! Post clear photos of your question bee, where & when you found it and on what flower, to our Facebook page or email them directly and Linc will reply as he has time. Especially if you have a super cool bee. But even if it’s just a wasp…if it’s a cool wasp.
Useful Online sites
Discover Life This website will walk you through getting your bee to genus and even species, although they favor species east of the Mississippi. It's a matrix key so you don't have to worry about getting stuck on an incomprehensible couplet. Check out this video on how to use [Discover Life]1
Sam Droege's Videos Each week Sam’s one hour microscope videos (95 sessions so far) focus on something specific, like identifying male andrena to sub species…episodes 1-7. It may cover bees we don’t have, but it’s useful to look thru the microscope with him as he describe the characters he’s talking about and to familiarize yourself with bee anatomy and key characters. http://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beemovies/index.htm
iNaturalist Look up bees where you were netting and see if you can find a match!
[BugGuide.net]3 Like iNaturalist but sometimes with a bit of different wisdom.
Exotic Bee ID This is primarily for identifying introduced species, but does include natives, too. It’s best for anthidium, osmia, some megachile. Good diagrams and photos - it's also a matrix key.
Megachile of Canadais a nice photo key that can get you to some Megachile subgenera and species. Although it is for Canadian bees, the large clear photos and ID process can teach a lot about what to look for on a bee.
David Cappaert’s guide to Ceratina and Andrena in Oregon. David lives in Corvallis and has built keys to make bee ID easier to for laymen to accomplish.
If you have discovered tools that help you that we haven’t listed here, please let us know where to find them. Always looking for more!
OBA ANNOUNCEMENTS
Catch a Buzz
Catch a Buzz is the FIRST Tuesday of the month at 7pm.
Mark your calendars for next month, when we will hear about the quest to find the Mojave poppy bee (Perdita meconis) from the wonderful Dr. Kelsey Graham.
To join, go to https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/97230252365?pwd=TURyTXNMZ1M5SHl2TFQvajBxemtRdz09 | Password: bees
Here is the recording of the last Catch A Buzz with PhD candidate, Jen Hayes, from the Garden Ecology Lab at OSU.
Journey Level Learning Sessions Start This Month!!!
Check the calendar for details - on the 28th, you can take your choice of afternoon or evening sessions. These sessions are held infrequently, but attendance is required at at least 2 to complete the Journey level, so do your best not to miss this first one if you are registered in the program.
Cottonwood canyon Campout
Watch your email for more info if you have registered for this trip. Recent fires closed the campground temporarily, but it is back open.
On Behalf of Bonnie Zand for the BC Atlas Participants
Some good news from the Native Bee Society of BC for you! The society has successfully applied a grant that will allow us to bring together the bees collected by BC Master Melittologist participants, ID them to genus, and then return them to you to form your own reference / display collection. The feedback you receive on your pinning, organization and identifications will help you to increase your skills during next years collection season. Identification of the bees will also increase their value if you choose to donate your collection to a museum, nature center, or other organization.
The data from your samples will also be captured, along with the floral records you created. This information will add to our growing database of bee-host relationships here in BC.
Bee collections can be sent to Bonnie Zand anytime during the fall, or can be handed over during the in-person microscope session on October 14th (see Canvas calendar of event). Bees must be received by the end of December so they can be identified during January and February.
Bonnie’s address is: 8090 Macartney Drive, Fanny Bay, BC, V0R 1W0
A zoom information session on prepping collections for submission and mailing will be held on November 16th at 7 PM at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82067275919?pwd=cTJIZmJMVCtTYWpLVzN4TFRKd3hndz09
I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s collection efforts from this year, and for those that are still collecting bees goldenrod, gumweed, fireweed, rabbitbrush and asters are good sources of late season bees!
kudos and thanks are always in season
Rebecca Cheek is heartily thanked for “sharing precise and seasonal information for great bee catching locations on the north & central Oregon Coast.” Her grateful nominator says her suggestions are so well researched and she always catch unusual bees by following them.
If you’ve recently nominated someone and were wondering if they’ve received their official thank you card, rest assured it is coming soon. A busy summer has slowed the thank you mail, but it is getting going again with the cooler days. Thanks for your patience!
Do you know someone else who deserves a big thank you for the work they do on behalf of OBA and its volunteers or just deserves a shout-out for their achievements, big or small? You can make that happen! Nominate your personal hero for going above and beyond and after approval by the Advisory Committee, a handwritten note will be sent thanking your special person. All it takes to get the process started is to fill out the nomination form found by clicking HERE.
Calendar
Don’t miss the exciting fall schedule - microscope days! one last camping trip! Journey Level learning sessions!
What’s blooming
Pearly Everlasting by Michael O’laughlin
Combing through iNaturalist over the last week, we note our volunteers have come across some great plants on the hit list or have found bees in areas of special interest. You should be able to revisit these sites. Remember to check the permit requirements for these sites in Canvas.
Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting) — Michael O’Laughlin, Willamette Nat’l Forest (Sep 2)
Trichostema lanceolatum (Vinegar Weed) — Judith Maxwell, Grant’s Pass, OR (Sep 2)
Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife) — Noelle Landauer, West Port, OR (Sep 2)
Please remember to include images of the flower, the leaves, and the entire plant with all your submissions. Only include images of the plants you collect on, not bees, in the Oregon Bee Atlas (Plant Images/Sample ID) project.
miscellany (not to be missed)
CAB SummarY - Where’d it go?
We have delighted in the often-hilarious, always-useful Catch A Buzz summaries that Martha Richards has been providing. With the new CAB format focused on presentations, summaries aren’t really needed, so Martha is taking a well-earned step away from the job. Don’t worry, if anything important is announced at one of these gatherings, it will be covered elsewhere in the Roundup.
From OBA Member Stephanie Hazen
Instructions for Donating to the oba
Would you like to help ensure the future of the OBA with a donation to the endowment fund? Start by clicking HERE and in the “I want to give to…” field, start typing “Jerry & Judith Paul Native Pollinator Endowment” and it should pop right up. Be sure to select this exact destination for your funds to get it in the right place. And thank you in advance!
Photo credits (all photos not credited are by Carol Yamada or Ellen Silva)
Header photo of bee school grads submitted by Lincoln Best
Zinnia by Robin Gill