Images

The abdomen of a female Andrena nivalis. In that abdomen is a female stylopid which looks a bit like an odd head sticking out from underneath a tergite...she has been living in said A. nivalis for a long time...feeding on its innards...and, the stylopid has just given birth, (likely killing her in the process) to all her little babies. Nature: So cruel.

Andrena species, Black-tipped Andrena, specimen collected by Jason Gibbs in OmanEvolution has blessed the genus Andrena with over 1500 different species, making it the second richest of all bee genera (Hairy-tongue Bees, Lasioglossum, are first).

Andrena pallidiscopa, female, Badlands National Park, SD

A little male mining bee about the size of a grain of rice. Andrena personata is something I associate with sparse fields, not so much lawns. My guess that the usual lawn weeds don't have the right mix of patriotically native flower species it is looking for. Kind of pixie like, is what I want to say.

Andrena fragilis, June 2012, Cecil County, Maryland

Maryland

Andrena nigrihirta, female, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Andrena nuda, Somerset County, Maryland, April 2012, female

Andrena spiraeana, female, detail of the tergites

Andrena virginiana, male, Maryland, Garrett County, July 2012

Andrena virginiana, female, Maryland Garrett County, July 2012

Ah, if angels were bees this would be one. However, if you were a Colletes bee you would not think so since the Angel Bee would invade your home, lay an egg, leave and later the Angel Bee baby would kill your baby and eat all your food. So life goes.

An ant, which species of ant, I don't know, it was collected a few days ago in Pomonkey Maryland at a Naval radar installation where we are helping survey their bees.

Unknown species of ant, Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming,

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.