Digger Bee at Carrizo Plain National Monument
Digger bees are efficient pollinators although they don't make honey. They are found throughout a variety of landscapes across the country, including this buzzer who was spotted this spring at the Carrizo Plain National Monument.

 

Digger bees (also known as long-horned bees due to the exceptionally long antennae on males) are typically large, unusually fuzzy bees that tend to nest in soil. These bees are solitary and have individual burrows, although there can be a large aggregation of burrows. Classified in the Tribe Anthophorini, there are about 70 species found in the United States and just over 750 species worldwide.

 

Photo by Russell Namitz, BLM