Images

Halictus poeyi and its counterpart Halictus ligatus are 2 of the most common bees in Eastern North America. H. poeyi is runs to the south and H. ligatus to the north. There is enough overlap in characters that at this point they are considered indistinguishable. These species are well in the known range of only H. poeyi in St.

A series of 6 pictures of 3 species of very uncommon beetles that are new records for the region from George Washington Memorial Parkway unit of the National Park Service. Collected by Brent Steury. Hallomenus scapularis is a beetle of polypore fungi. There are 2 color forms which may or may not be different species.

More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female.

A large Hoplitis from the West Coast. Specifically from Yosemite National Park. Am still mystified by this genus, they are always around in small numbers, but never seem to be a "player" like some of the other genera, if you know what I mean. The specimens were collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio - Study led by L.

Sometimes male bees depart from the standard antennae shapes for some sort of new performance specs. No body seems to be studying why this might be, but there is substantive research on how incredible antennae can be at detecting just a few molecules.

West Virginia, Hardy County

Hoplitis truncata. An uncommon Hoplitis that shows up here and there, but never in large numbers. Not well known and its roll and preferences in the world of flowers is also unclear. This is a rather ratty male I collected somewhere near home...will have to keep my eyes open for additional specimens.

Richmond County, North Carolina

Another Chrysidid wasp (cuckoo wasp) from the Hart-Miller Dredge Spoil site in Baltimore Harbor, collected by Eugene Scarpulla, photographed by Brooke Alexander Identification by Lynn KimseyCanon 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, link to a .pdf of o

One of the first woodland plants flowering in the spring....am looking forward to the plants waking up this year and the cycle starting anew. Specimen and photography by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Dominican Republic,floating in hand sanitizer in a cuvette Heteropteran, species unknown

Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.

The male of Hoplitis albifrons, a common northern and western mountain species. Relatively large, almost the size of a honey bee at least in length. Found in Yosemite National park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Gloebal Change Biol. 2016). Photograph by Samia Shell.

A bee with a fat leg, or at least a wide one. Which is the most distinguising feature of this bee that sadly looks like a whole bunch of other Lasioglossum species. The name? = ...Lasioglossum callidum. i Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

Such a lovely blue and relatively unusual in the Genus Lasioglossum. At least in the East there is no other Lasioglossum so extensively and uniformly blue. So blue that it is often mistaken for an Osmia. This species is associated with woodlands, feeding on the vernal flora of the woods and nearby fields and nesting in rotten wood.

More L. coreiaceum pictures...these are from a specimen taken as part of global climate change study at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

Lasioglossum creberrimum, Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas

Brianne Du Clos, collected this common Lasioglossum in Maine...probably in or near a blueberry field. Unlike most of our specimens you can see the pollen all over this specimen. Photograph by Dejen Mengis.

Brianne Du Clos, collected this common Lasioglossum in Maine...probably in or near a blueberry field. Unlike most of our specimens you can see the pollen all over this specimen. Photograph by Dejen Mengis.

Lasioglossum egregium, nicely patterned bands of hair on its hinders, this is a common bee in the West. This particular one is from Bryce Canyon National Park. More to see in Bryce than a bunch of rocks, I think. Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

Lasioglossum eleutherense, female, Florida, National Park Service, Biscayne National Park