Thanks to the numerous entries from previous years, we have a rich pool of great pictures. Every month BeeRadar presents a favourite picture sent in by our participants.
Eine Asiatische Mörtelbiene trinkt hier Nektar bei einem Fliederbusch. Danke für die schöne Aufnahme (CC by 4.0 Salzmann) und die Unterstützung.
BeeRadar was officially founded in Switzerland and very close to the place of origin of BeeRadar the current photo of the month was snapped. In Belp, three Asian Mortar Bees were observed nesting by an attentive participant. Many thanks for the pictures and interesting descriptions of the nesting behavior (CC by 4.0 Zurbuchen).
Females of the Asian mortar bee have been nesting here for the third year and we have been receiving information about the bee for three seasons. Long-term observations are very valuable and informative for our research. We thank BeeRadar for their years of dedication. (CC by 4.0 Becker)
At the end of August a female could be observed approaching her nest. Asian mortar bees are very good flyers, outperforming many other bees with high speed and endurance. CC by 4.0 Johnson
One participant was able to capture the moment when the Asian Mortar Bee shares a flower with a native Earth Bumble Bee. We are thrilled with the shots and are pleased with this August Picture of the Month (CC by 4.0 Segner).
An Asian mortar bee sleeps by a sunflower. While sleeping it clings to petals with its mouthparts. This great picture reached us from Lower Austria and is our picture of the month July (CC by 4.0 Reiter).
A June highlight reached us from southern France: a male drinking nectar on lavender. In 2022, the Asian Mortar Bee is on the move surprisingly early. CC by 4.0 Muriel
A male with a white moustache clings to a wisteria and sucks nectar. A great photo by our Citizen Scientist from South Tyrol. CC by 4.0 Staggl.
In 2021, a male was found for the first time in St. Pölten. The flowering oregano offers nectar and provides energy for the upcoming flight. CC by 4.0 Kern
This Asian mortar bee certainly feels particularly at home with a nest inscription in Chinese. We find the gesture amusing and would like to thank Mr. Stern for his active support in 2021. CC by 4.0 Stern
Our picture of the month shows a male on a white lavender. The male is drinking nectar here and fortifying himself with the sugary juice for the onward flight. Thank you very much Mr. Hangartner for the great picture and the exciting information! CC by 4.0 Hangartner
Our winning entry in the 2021 photo competition is also our picture of the month for December. A great shot of a female with a dwarf pea. Congratulations! (CC by 4.0 Engeli)
A male waits in vain for a female to hatch. But another competitor emerges from the fresh nest. I guess we have to wait until the mating season can start. Thank you Monique for your exciting contributions and your commitment to BeeRadar since 2020. CC by 4.0 Wittwer
The picture shows an Asian mortar bee in a fatal fight with a native wild bee. This is already the second time that this attentive participant has succeeded in documenting such aggressive behaviour of the immigrant bee. With this important evidence on the competitiveness of the Asian Mortar Bee, Mrs. Rohrbach has already been mentioned in two scientific articles.
Congratulations, Christa, and thank you for your commitment. CC by 4.0 Rohrbach
A female works on the collected resin to use it for the brood cells. The powerful mouthparts help the female to soften the sticky substance until the resin can be shaped and used for her nest constructions.
The photo was taken by one of our long-term participants in 2019. Since then, Mr Topitz has been providing us not only with great images and video footage, but also with detailed observations on the behaviour of the Asian Mortar Bee. CC by 4.0 Topitz
In our photo of the month, a female is busy building her nest. But it is not only the bees that are busy, you, dear Citizen Scientists, also inspire us again and again with your commitment. For example, the participant behind this photo not only contributed great observations, but also took the initiative himself and called on other Citizen Scientists to search for the Asian Mortar Bee! CC by 4.0 Weibezahl
In our photo of the month, the male is waiting for the female to hatch. As the bees hatch as adults, they are ready to mate soon after. Thanks to the long-term participant for this insight into the life of Asian mortar bees.
CC by 4.0 Free
With this beautiful photo of two Asian mortar bees in their nesting box, our long-term participant has once again made a valuable contribution to research. We therefore send a big thank you to Ticino.
CC by 4.0 Pfister
The fight between two females of the Asian Mortar Bee was photographed at Lake Thun in 2018. It is one of the first images to reach BeeRadar and therefore something very special. CC by 4.0 Merz
This is one of the first findings of the Asian Mortar Bee in southern Austria. Ms Kurzmann has been actively supporting our research with observations since 2019.
CC by 4.0 Kurzmann
This picture was one of the first observations of the Asian Mortar Bee in Vorarlberg. The picture was taken by the Hämmerle family in 2019.
CC by 4.0 Hämmerle