Giants and Fairies in the U.S.

People are often made aware of some amazing and unique bees around the world, particularly as news of bee declines is spread around.

What people might not be aware of is the amazing diversity of bees that can be found in their own backyards.

For example, one of North America's largest bees is the carpenter bee (Xylocopa). These gentile giants are common in the desert southwest. Also found in these desert areas are the tiny fairy bees (Perdita), which include over 600 species of beautiful tiny bees.

As we learn to recognize that not all bees are orange and black like the ones we see on cereal boxes, a new world of discovery and adventure can open up to us as we observe our backyard bees.