Common Bees of Western North America

A portable, full-color photographic guide to the most commonly seen bees in the western United States and CanadaBees play a vitally important role in the pollination of native plants and agricultural crops around the globe. These stunningly beautiful insects come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. There are more than 3,000 species in western North America, and identifying them is a challenging task even for taxonomists. Common Bees of Western North America is the first species-level photographic field guide to the most commonly seen bees in the western United States and Canada, focusing on those that are found in urban environments, specialize on unique plants, or are especially distinctive in appearance. This book walks you through the process of bee identification using breathtaking high-resolution color photos that highlight the key characteristics of each species, making identification easier. Full of essential facts about the natural history of these magnificent creatures, this is a must-have field guide for naturalists and backyard gardeners alike. Covers more than 200 speciesFeatures more than 1,100 stunning close-up color photosShows multiple images of each species, with arrows indicating key featuresIncludes a range map for every speciesProvides silhouette images depicting the actual size of each speciesDescribes key identification features, size, phenology, floral preference, nesting, and related speciesContains a taxonomic key to the bee genera of the region