Black and Yellow Yard Pollinators

I have been finding quite the collection of pollinators in the backyard, including a critically imperiled species! If you plant it, they will come! Many of the species are new to me! Most of them are very tiny.

Woolcarder Bee: It was fascinating watching this Woolcarder Bee carry a ball of fluff. These bees scrape the hair from leaves and carry the bundle beneath their bodies to use as a nest lining. It was busy collecting plant hairs from my Pearly Everlasting. They are introduced from Europe.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/62453-Anthidium-manicatum

An underside view of the Woolcarder Bee: The fluff ball is visible in the photo. It was so cumbersome, that the bee appeared to be a bit drunk in flight!

The Hump-backed Beewolf is a species of bee-hunting wasp. They visit flowers and other plants in search of insect prey which they will coat in a layer of pollen and feed to their young. 

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/133268-Philanthus-gibbosus

Two days in a row, I found a Smiling Mason Wasp in my garden! According to iNaturalist, this species is critically imperiled in Ontario. They are a member of the Potter Wasp family and can grow to 10mm in length. The colouration on their thorax (when viewed from the top) resembles a smiley face.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/427021-Ancistrocerus-campestris

Fraternal Potter Wasp females build a small, mud, jug-shaped nest (pot) on a twig. They place paralyzed beetle larvae, spiders or small caterpillars into the pot and lay an egg on top. When the larva hatches, it has food waiting for it.

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Insects/fraternal_potter_wasp.html

The Pitted Mason Wasp is a small solitary wasp. Nests are made in cavities including hollow twigs, corrugated cardboard and abandoned nests of paper wasps. 

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Insects/pitted_mason_wasp.html

The European Paper Wasp is introduced to Canada. It has a more diverse diet than other members of its family, giving it superior survivability during times of food shortages. 

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/84640-Polistes-dominula