Images

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

Colletes phaceliae - Western bee, but this one caught at the edge of its range, where it was hanging out in Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Photo by Erick Hernandez and Kelly Graninger.

Colletes thoracicus. One of the cellophane bees. Aggregates in large numbers in loose soil or cliff faces. Photographer is Greta Forbes.

Rarity here. This is species was described in the 1950s, named after the town it was collected near and only a handful of specimens have ever been collected that I am aware of. In fact it is so rare that it was on our list of "missing" species, published in 2011.

Bedraggled Bee. We picture here Colletes willistoni, with mussy hair, something Colletes is prone to. For me this is mostly irritating, in that they don't clean up well for their pictures, for the bees, well, its hard to say, they are an old lineage and apparently great looking hair under all conditions was not their evolutionary priority.

South Carolina

Collinsonia canadensis. Stoneroot / Richweed. Photo and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman. 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.

Collinsonia canadensis. Stoneroot / Richweed. Photo and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman. 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.

Conocephalus, Meadow Katydid, Maryland, USA, July 2012, Nymph

Ah......Mistflower. Conoclinium coelestinum. So purple blue that it almost looks fake (to me) regularly occuring in our area and a lovely addition to those how need a little more purple in their gardens. Specimen and pictures by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Photographed using a Canon 5D MarkII. This is a parasitic Chalcid Wasp likely collected in Maryland, but I can't quite recall and it was used simply to test our system .... Will be more detailed in the future.

Chalcid Wasp, Chalcidinae, Dominican RepublicConura species possibly the maculata species group as per Michael Gates determination

Coreopsis verticullata - Whorled Tickseed. Always popular with bees, the Coreopsis group, as a whole, is widely planted, tough, and long bloomer, but reasonably rare out there in the wild, with some of the planted species not local to the mid-Atlantic. Should they be planted then. Where are the limits?

Coreopsis verticullata - Whorled Tickseed. Always popular with bees, the Coreopsis group, as a whole, is widely planted, tough, and long bloomer, but reasonably rare out there in the wild, with some of the planted species not local to the mid-Atlantic. Should they be planted then. Where are the limits?

Helicoverpa zea - Corn Earworm - According to Wikipedia its the second most economically damaging insect pest in North America, chewing on a wide variety of crop plants. This most certainly is true, but it also not a bad looking animal when viewed close up.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

I believe this mollusk is now called: Crassicantharus noumeensis: Gold-banded Latirus. But I could be wrong it was in the Smithsonian national collection and the name in the unit tray was Latius noumeensis ...thanks to Amanda Robinson for passing this along. Need to work on my lighting...to much fall off to the right.