As busy as ever ...

This one I think had just emerged. I was searching for dragonflies when I almost walked into this big lump. Although she was partially hidden by grass, you could still see her beautiful wings. They shimmered in the light. It was difficult to get any decent photos as she was well tucked away in the grass and constantly shook herself. I think she was drying out after emergence (I think shaking speeds up the process, though I could be wrong). It was great to watch her finally fly away after a considerable amount of time.

Order: Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps etc.)

Family: Xylocopidae

Vernacular name: Yellow Carpenter Bee

Scientific name: Xylocopa aestuans

 Xylocopa aestuans, teneral female