Images

Andrena fragilis, June 2012, Cecil County, Maryland

A couple more shots of Andrena asteris, one male, and one female. Note the super fluffy hairs on the hind tibia of the female.

Andrena barbara, female

Andrena barbara, female

Andrena barbara, male

Andrena bisalicis, female, Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, SC, Chesterfield County

For some reason I really like the lighting on the face of this specimen... eerie, the bee contemplating the decline of its own kind, that sort of thing. But I depart...Here is Andrena bradleyi, the Long-faced Mining Bee, a vaccinium (blueberry) specialist. If you hang out around blueberries then you might find this bee...the flowering plants that is.

A dark spring Andrena mining bee seen throughout the East in woodlands and the edge of woodlands foraging on the blooms of trees and the flowers that appear in early spring within rich deciduous woods. Andrena carlini is often the most common Andrena. One of the few bees in this large taxonomic group with dark pollen collecting hairs.

Alepidosceles - Sorry, too very tired to look up anything about this lovely Diadasia like bee from Brazil. You will have to do it for me, I can't do everything you know. Just make up some interesting life history notes for me, if you would, please.

Cleaning up some phot backlog. Unknown bee from Mexico....this was taken while in Laurence Packer's lab and hopefullyi one day we will have an identification associated with it. Just looking at it I would say that it is some sort of Anthidiine. Love the colors on the abdomen.

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.

Manuelia postica, Red-tipped Twignester, collected in Chile Red-tipped Twignesters live and nest, as the name implies, in the pith or hollow centers of dead plant stems. A set of nest cells are made sequentially along the length of the stem from back to front.

Manuelia postica, Red-tipped Twignester, collected in Chile Red-tipped Twignesters live and nest, as the name implies, in the pith or hollow centers of dead plant stems. A set of nest cells are made sequentially along the length of the stem from back to front.

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.

More unknown species of bees from the Packer Lab at York University. Here collected in Brazil. 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.

Amegilla species, Unknown Banded Bee, collected in South Africa by Laurence PackerBanded Bees are a diverse group, occurring in lands all across the Old World and Australia. Asian and Australian groups tend to be more of the "Blue-banded" variety (see accountxxx) while in the Eastern part of their range they more often than not lack any blue reflections.

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.

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.

Dominican Republic, possible leaf beetle, floating in hand sanitizer in a cuvette

Unknown species of beetle (ID Help would be great, maybe the head of a checkered beetle????). Collected in my backyard in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Photograph by Sierra WilliamsCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile