The winged sumac flowers have come and gone, but they’re not forgotten. Back in September, when they were blooming like crazy, the pollinators were flocking to them. It definitely made for a couple of fun photo sessions out in the woods and also some great color combinations. There’s just something about hundreds of little yellow flowers that looks really stunning with black or black and yellow bees and wasps. The one in these photos is a carpenter mimic leaf cutter bee (Megachile xylocopoides). They really do look very similar carpenter bees, but carpenter bees are more active in the springtime. Unlike honey bees and some of their relatives, these guys don’t have any leg pouches for storing pollen, but they are covered in bristly hairs that collect it instead. This one has some pollen stuck on it, but I’ve seen them nearly yellow all over because they have so much stuck in their hairs. All those spiky hairs also give them a cool texture that always makes an interesting photo. Like honey bees, they tend to be very docile, and I’ve had them land on me, but I’ve never been stung.