Images

Great Basin National Park. Still processing photos from our big survey of bees of U.S. parks. In this case, there was a lovely mutillid wasp, (velvet ant) in the sample. Oddly the female's hair color shifted between the shots....Not clear why.

Here is a short 3 picture series of 3 Mylabris blister beetles from Kruger National Park, where they are often found on tree flowers. I had the unfortunate experience of storing a bunch of these in my pocket while in the bush. Later that night my upper thigh was covered in large blisters. Be warned.

Here is a short 3 picture series of 3 Mylabris blister beetles from Kruger National Park, where they are often found on tree flowers. I had the unfortunate experience of storing a bunch of these in my pocket while in the bush. Later that night my upper thigh was covered in large blisters. Be warned.

The eastern subspecies of the Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata. This bird ran into a building at night while it was migrating and was picked up by the Lights out DC group.

The eastern subspecies of the Yellow-rumped warbler, Setophaga coronata. This bird ran into a building at night while it was migrating and was picked up by the Lights out DC group.

Nemasomatidae, Beltsville, Maryland. Floated in Hand Sanitizer in a cuvette

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.

The lovely Nomada imbricata, a bee that looks like a wasp, which, it turns out are all bees really are anyway...modified wasps. In this case this bee has no need to look like a bee since it does not carry pollen nor build its own nest, instead it invades the nests of the large Andrenid bees and lays its egos in their nest and Ms.

Somerset county, Maryland

Somerset county, Maryland

The only bidentate Nomada I feel comfortablish identifying. All the rest blend together morphologically and maybe molecularly. This is one of the largest and most common of the bidentates and has a unique set of tibial spurs (which is not saying much) and some general coloration patterns that are helpful. Collected in Charles County, Maryland USA.

One of the tiniest of all the Nomada..so small that it made no sense to try and Photoshop out the pin on which it was glued. We are production operation, rarely do we have the luxury of having specimens that we can prepare beforehand for picture taking. Thus you take what is given to you.

Nomada rubicunda. This species is a nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon....most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. This species is probably focused on Agapostemon splendens. Photographed by Joseph Malone and Amanda Robinson. One of only two records for Maryland, collected on fossil dunes by Jen Frye.

Nomada rubicunda. This species is a nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon....most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. This species is probably focused on Agapostemon splendens. Photographed by Joseph Malone and Amanda Robinson. One of only two records for Maryland, collected on fossil dunes by Jen Frye.

Here is the male of the very rare, Nomada seneciophila, found for the first time in Maryland, Charles County. As is often the case the males look quite different from the females. This is one of a handful of species that have modified antennae segments, with small spines, sculpting and elongations compared to other groups of Nomada.

A lovely Nomada from Kyrgyzstan. More odds and ends from the specimen chest of Laurence Packer. 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.

Check out the midnight blue on the female. Your Prius should look so good. Female photos by Wayne Boo. 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.

Check out the midnight blue on the female. Your Prius should look so good. Female photos by Wayne Boo. yPhotography 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.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

This beautiful blue bee nests in snail shells. I am not sure if there are other species in the East that nest in snail shells, there could be...we know so very little about most species. Collected in Maryland somewhere (probably western Maryland) and Photographed by Wayne Boo.