Macro Friday--A Lesson on Bees

I'm excited to join Macro Friday this week and give you a lesson on "bees" all in one!  We've got these tree/bushes outside our front door.  I have no idea what they are, but they attract all kinds of bees, flies, butterflies, and other flying insects.   I grabbed my camera and began to shoot whatever would sit still long enough for me to grab a quick macro shot.

***The photo below is my official Macro Friday photo. The rest are just for fun :)***

When reviewing my photos, I realized that I took pictures of 5 different kinds of "bees"!  Me being the curious type (and because of my friend Lindsi's suggestion) I looked up what they were.  In doing so, I learned that not all "bees" are bees!

The above is in fact, not a bee at all!  It's a Syrphid Fly (otherwise known as a Hover Fly).  They mimic wasp coloring to ward off preditors.  These are good guys--their larve eat pest insects such as aphids.

Next is your typical honey bee.  Mmmm...is there fresh honey somewhere near my house?!?

Then we have the Bald Faced Hornet.  It's a close relative of the wasp (see below).  These guys are mean.  They will sting you repeatedly when trying to defend their nest.

Yep, above is a Bumblebee.  There are tons of different kinds of Bumblebees.  This one is a Common Eastern Bumblebee.  It is only fuzzy on it's top half.

Last is a Yellow Jacket.  Contrary to popular mistake, these are not bees.  They are wasps.  Closely related to the hornet above, these guys are agressive too.  They often build their nests underground and are the "bees" that sting you when you mow your lawn.

There you have it, Macro Friday and a lesson on "bees" all in one!