Images

Andrena gardineri, female, May 2012, Maryland, Garrett County,

Andrena gardineri, female, Garrett County, Maryland

Andrena gardineri, female side, May 2012 Garrett County, Maryland

Andrena perplexa, female, May 2012, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Andrena rudbeckiae, male, June, 2012 Kent County, Maryland

Anemone americana - Round-lobed Hepatica. At times white like this flower, but can grade all the way up to a lovely purpley blue color in other individuals. Photo and individual from Helen Lowe Metzman.

Eucerinoda gayi, Gay 's EucerineClaude Gay was a French entomologist who in the early 1800 's traveled to Chile to teach. However natural history was his passion and he spent most of his time in the country studying the plants, animals, and geology.

Female Caenonomada - Argentina....from the Laurence Packer lab....a bee that replaces at least some of the pollen/nectar component with plant oils oils. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Osiris, Atlatl Godbee, Collected in ColombiaThe ancient Egyptian God Osiris was associated with both the afterlife and a greenish skin, and at least indirectly with Honey Bees.

Mydrosoma serratum, Serrated Evening Bee, collected in Mexico by Sheila Dumesh Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Ancyla asiatica, Asiatic Enigma Bee collected in Turkey Nine species of Enigma Bees occur from the Western portion of the Mediterranean to Central Asia. They are called Enigma bees because it has been so difficult to decide which other bees they are closely related to. The reason for this confusion lies in their tongues.

Pachyanthidium species, Sawtooth Sputnik Bee, collected in KenyaAnother striking Sputnik Bee from Africa. This group of bees, and the Anthidiini tribe it nestles in taxonomically, are almost all characteristically striped and spotted with bright yellow, white, and red colors on a wide body, usually also with serious amounts of pitting cratering their exoskeleton.

Bees Learn to Drive Very Small Cars.Scientists capitalized on recent revelations that bees are a lot smarter than previously thought. In addition to being able to count and solve simple puzzles USGS scientists at the Patuxent Native Bee Lab have taught bees to driver miniaturized automobiles.

The Drone or male of the honeybee. Note the eyes, they actually meet on top of the head. It lives only do mate with a virgin queen and the expanded compount eyes help. Note the weak reflection of the female's heavily modified hind tibia, still expanded, but not really functionally, probably a molecularly cheap byproduct of being haploid.

Apis mellifera, honey bee, pupae in the purple eye phase. Specimens provided by Krisztina Christmon from University of Maryland. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Devil's Walking Stick - Aralia spinosa. Woof. Plant this at the edge of the woods. The individual stems often don't last more than a few years, but what a spectacular plant. Giant giant balls of white flowers that attract huge numbers of wasps and butterflies, and some bees for that matter.

This little beauty is the underside of Argyrogrammana nurtia from Peru, one of the metalmarks. This one collected by Brian Harris at the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian. So fine.

Paraguay! Cactus! This species and its kin feed their young Cactus pollen. One of many species which are pollen specialists in the world. Much to discover and explore in the part of the world, particularly the Chaco region.

Paraguay! Cactus! This species and its kin feed their young Cactus pollen. One of many species which are pollen specialists in the world. Much to discover and explore in the part of the world, particularly the Chaco region.

Paraguay! Cactus! This species and its kin feed their young Cactus pollen. One of many species which are pollen specialists in the world. Much to discover and explore in the part of the world, particularly the Chaco region.

Black Chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa. Consider the chokeberry....native and super full of antioxidants, also super attractive to native bees. Why don't you have any in your yard? Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.