Description: Individual bee species can be distinguished from each other by the hairiness of their body, by the first segment (tarsus) of the hind legs, and their wings. Length of male bee 5 mm (0.2 in.), forewing 4 mm (0.16 in.) long. Head and part of thorax (body region which bears legs and wings) dark green, front of head pale yellow, legs black with some pale yellow stripes. Wings hyaline (transparent, colorless), veins milky white except brown subcosta (one of longitudinal veins). Terga (plates of dorsal surface on abdomen) from dark green to brown to amber-yellow. Diagnostic feature of males: apical lobes of T7 (tergum 7) thickened. Length of female bee 6.5 - 7 mm (0.27 in.), forewing to 5 mm (0.2 in.) long; coloration as in male except smaller areas of pale-yellow markings on head. Flight period from mid-April to early June.
Diet: Floral preference of the Mojave poppy bee appears to be large-flowered plants of the poppy family, Arctomecon and Argemone.
Habitat: Mojave poppy bees are restricted to the habitat of its associated plant species.
Range: Known to occur in the eastern Mojave Desert from Kelso, California, to near St. George, Utah; this species is rare and very patchily distributed.
Comments: Mojave poppy bee is considered a High Priority Evaluation Species. Medium Priority Evaluation Species of bees are listed on thefollowing page. The photo above is a native Bee species.