Pebble Fortress of the Dianthidium Bee

Just when you think you've seen it all—remember the caddisfly casings of stone and silk? These are just as cool! I came across a pebble nest built by tiny bees of the Dianthidium genus. They build these fortresses with pebbles and sand by transporting the materials to the site with their mandibles, then cementing the nest together with resin/sap. Inside are brood chambers, each provisioned with a single egg along with pollen and nectar.

Nikon D7200 with 105mm

Raw file editing in Adobe