Images

Tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny. You can tell this from the size of the pin. What is size anyway. Clearly this is larger than a virus, let's say, but smaller than an elephant or bread box. But in the perspective of bees, this is really really small...because it is a nest parasite of Perdita which are the smallest of all the bees in North America.

St. Francis's Satyr (Neonympha mitchelli francisci). Only found in North Carolina and only found on Ft. Bragg. Feeds on grasses and sedges in wetlands along streams, most of those wetlands created by beaver and periodic fires from Base activities. These specimens came from captive reared populations that USFWS and others are attempting to slowly create.

Nomada maculata, Acadia National Park

This Nomada is a nest parasites of spring Eucera species. It is one of the few groups of Nomada that have decided to parasitize something other than the genus Andrena. This one was found in the southeastern corner of Ohio by MaLisa Spring. photography by Brooke Alexander.

One of the western Nomada bee species, that just barely makes into the East. Unusual in how white some of the markings are on the abdomen. This nest parasite was collected by Elaine Evans in North Dakota.

Nomada articulata - A nest parasite of bright green Agapostemons. Most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. Not this species. The male is noted for its antenna mods. There is an odd sharp spine underneath the 3rd elongated flagellar segment. Why? Several other Nomada kin have the same thing, so it must be useful.

Nomada articulata - A nest parasite of bright green Agapostemons. Most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. Not this species. The male is noted for its antenna mods. There is an odd sharp spine underneath the 3rd elongated flagellar segment. Why? Several other Nomada kin have the same thing, so it must be useful.

A nest parasite of a bee. This species lays its eggs in the nests of Agapostemon bees, where it kills the host larva and then eats the stores placed there by the host female. We all know people like this. Bee was collected in New York City as part of a survey of bees of Gateway National Recreation Area. Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

A nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon...perhaps this one targets Agapostemon splendens...which as the name implies is particularly splendidly arrayed in metallic blues and greens. This bee was captured as part of a survey of bees in Gateway National Recreation Area...which includes much of the harbor area of New York City.

First Maryland record for this species. A possible nest parasite of Andrena wilkella. Picked up at Andelot Farm in Kent County Maryland.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

First Maryland record for this species. A possible nest parasite of Andrena wilkella. Picked up at Andelot Farm in Kent County Maryland.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

The genus Nomada includes many species with murky taxonomies. The group of species with an extra tooth off the tip (we call them the bidentate group) are particularly tricky with molecular working showing it to be a swarm of many "species". So it goes in insect land.

A moderate sized Nomada, a bee that lays its eggs in the nests of bees in the genus Andrena. This species, at least in the male, has a distinctive antennae. You can see it in at least the picture taken of the bee's side that the underside of the antenna is partially eroded away leaving a hollow on each segment.

Rare Bee Alert. Here is Nomada erigeronis. Handful of records...more Midwest...but here is one from the East. New Jersey, in fact. Relatively big. Similar species nest parasitize Agapostemon, but what's up here. Seems to be active in the May-July area.

Mimi Jenkins collected this lovely nest parasite in the sandy watermelon fields outside of Charleston, South Carolina. This bee presumably is adding its egg to the nest of Agapostemon splendens a denizen of sandy areas around the eastern part of the continent. It is a male as you can tell from the amount of yellow on the face and the 13 antennal segments.

A nest parasite, perhaps of Agapostemon splendens, this uncommon sand specialist is a good indicator of habitat worth retaining. Collected along the Atlantic Coast at: Fort Matanzas National Monument.

A cranberry specialist. This bee is one of the few bees that specializes on bogs and bog plants and is found in scattered locations from Southern New England along the coastal plane to the Gulf Coast. This specimen was collected by Heather Campbell in the sandhills of North Carolina.

Melitta haemorrhoidalis, Red-butted Campanula Lover, specimen collected by R.C.L. Perkins in Wotton-under-Edge, EnglandMelitta is the Greek word for bee, and the name of the favorite activity indulged in by the authors "“ melittology "“ is based upon this. Melitta bees are specialists.

Melitta haemorrhoidalis, Red-butted Campanula Lover, specimen collected by R.C.L. Perkins in Wotton-under-Edge, EnglandMelitta is the Greek word for bee, and the name of the favorite activity indulged in by the authors "“ melittology "“ is based upon this. Melitta bees are specialists.

Swamp sparrow, Washington D.C., Fall or spring 2012, died striking building downtown, collected by lightsoutdc with permits

The Channel Islands off of the coast of California have their own endemic set of animals and plants. I would expect that there might be some insects of the bee kind that might be endemic to, though I'm not familiar enough with their literature to know that is the case. Here, is Melissodes lustra from those islands. Photography from Sue Boo.