Book Description

A portable, full-color photographic guide to the most commonly seen bees in the western United States and Canada

Bees 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 species
• Features more than 1,100 stunning close-up color photos
• Shows multiple images of each species, with arrows indicating key features
• Includes a range map for every species
• Provides silhouette images depicting the actual size of each species
• Describes key identification features, size, phenology, floral preference, nesting, and related species
• Contains a taxonomic key to the bee genera of the region

About the Author

Olivia Messinger Carril is an independent scholar who has been studying bees for more than two decades. Joseph S. Wilson is associate professor of biology at Utah State University and an expert on the evolution and ecology of bees and wasps. They are the authors of Common Bees of Eastern North America and The Bees in Your Backyard (both Princeton).