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Know Your Solitary Bees

A guide in haiku

By TheSpinstressPublished 3 years ago 1 min read
2

A few months ago, I discovered the shocking truth: most bees are solitary! I've been enthralled by these stereotype-busting essential insects ever since.

When I discovered that the 1st of July is Solitary Bee Poetry Day (just one event in the exciting schedule of Solitary Bee Week), I just had to participate.

Here, in haiku, is your guide to some easily-identified solitary bees. Click on their names to find out more about each species.

Ceratina cyanea, female.

Blue Carpenter Bee (Ceratina Cyanea)

Bet you didn't know

Bees can be blue, and buried

In beds of bramble.

Andrena fulva, female.

Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena Fulva)

Fluffy red females

With undistinctive boyfriends

Wrecking your garden.

Anthidium manicatum, male.

European Wool-Carder Bee (Anthidium Manicatum)

Chunky and grumpy;

Non-monogamy can cause

Jealousy issues.

Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthrophora Plumipes)

Hobbit on your hearth?

Help him. Have you never had

a slight nap mishap?

(N.B: This article's featured pic is a male emerging from his nest.)

Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena Cineraria)

White-haired, black bodied,

glossy girls sleep until May,

deep down in the ground.

Harebell Carpenter Bee (Chelostoma Campanularum)

Small slinky models

Fussy eaters but they will

burrow with beetles.

Collete hederae; female on left, male on right.

Ivy Bee (Colletes Hederae)

More males than females;

you can picture the fuss on

sight of a lady.

Red Mason Bee (Osmis Bicornis)

This one has horns! It's

demolishing a church. Are

we...sure it's a bee?

If you want to try your hand at your own solitary bee poetry, find out how to participate here.

You can read my solitary bee sonnet, Working All Summer, here.

My original mind-blown discovery of solitary bees is over on my blog, here. If you have any comments on solitary bees, solitary bee poetry, or anything related, you can also leave them there.

nature poetry
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About the Creator

TheSpinstress

I teach English, watch Bollywood, learn Hindi, herd cats, and don't buy new clothes. Follow me on the Spinstress for sarcasm and snacks; MovieJaadoo for Hindi film. :)

http://thespinstressblog.wordpress.com/

https://moviejaadoo.wordpress.com

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  • Dharrsheena Raja Segarran8 months ago

    Awww, I love all your Haikus here, each one dedicated to a different bee!

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