The male Anthidium florentinum is slightly more than twice the size of the female and very territorial.
They are solitary bees. To sleep they cling with their mandibles to the end of stems and leaves.
(Photo taken in May, in Valencia).
iPhone 13 mini + homemade macro lens
My other macros in:
https://www.instagram.com/mymacrominitips/

El macho de Anthidium florentinum es algo más del doble que la hembra y muy territorial.
Son abejas solitarias y duermen en el extremo de tallos y hojas, sujetándose con las mandíbulas.
(Foto realizada en mayo, en Valencia).

Das Männchen von Anthidium florentinum ist etwas mehr als doppelt so groß wie das Weibchen und sehr territorial.
Es handelt sich um Solitärbienen. Zum Schlafen klammern sie sich mit ihren Mandibeln an die Enden von Stängeln und Blättern.
(Foto im Mai in Valencia aufgenommen).

#macro #insects #naturephotography #animals #wildlifephotography #shotoniPhone #Anthidiumflorentinum #anthidium #bee #sleepingbee #woolcarderbee

This year in early summer we had a regular visitor on the balcony, a European wool carder bee.

First I thought it was just a normal yellow jacket wasp but after observing the behaviour a bit more and searching on the Internet we found out that it actually was a wool carder bee. Unlike a yellow jacket, she was quite curious about humans and not aggressive at all.

She was coming to the balcony multiple times a day and checking each of the bamboo stalks we use for growing plants. After leaving the hole or when sitting inside, she was closing it with splinters of the bamboo. The very few times we could look inside, we could see eggs in there so let's hope we get more again next year.

After about a month she disappeared and didn't come back but the bamboo stalks are still closed and the eggs are probably still in place for next year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthidium_florentinum

#AnthidiumFlorentinum #WoolCarderBee #Bee #Insect