Images

Vespula squamosa - The Southern Yellow Jacket....the two yellow racing stripes on the top of the thorax (scutum) are diagnostic in the SE U.S. Collected by Tim McMahon from Talbot County, Maryland, Notice the notched compound eyes characteristic of most vespids.

Common Pricklyash. Zanthoxylum americanum. Very rare now in Maryland. Specimen and photograph by Helen Lowe Metzman.

White-throated Sparrow, Died in downtown Washington D.C. in the fall or spring of 2012 from striking a building at night. Retrieved by the Lights out DC program

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Unknown Sphecid wasp from Badlands National Park in South Dakota collected as part of a large survey of the bees of the park. Photograph taken by Wayne Boo.Canon 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

Identified wasp from a vegetable farm in Wicomico County Maryland. Photography by Brooke Alexander. 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.

Unknown Wasp, Yellowstone National Park, 2012

unknown weevil species, Chino Farms, Maryland

Hylocichla mustelina, killed when striking the Hart Senate Building in Washington D.C., during migration, collected with permits by LightsOutDC

A couple more prickly ash photos taken by Helen Low Metzman.

Xylocopa inconstans, one of several species of Carpenter Bees that come from Kruger National Park. This white patch makes it relatively distinct. Part of expeditions led by Jonathan Mawdsley and James Harrison. Photo by Erick Hernandez.

I THINK this is a sedge, but sadly I just grabbed it quickly while at Finzel Swamp (western Maryland) where it was blooming in clumps around the edge of the large pond located there. Any corrections to my Sedge ID would be very welcome

Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park - Thanks to Chris Thompson for the determination!

Uknown Cuerna sharpshooter from Fossil Butte National Monument

Dominican Republic, Lisa Hopper, Sharpshooter, suspended in hand sanitizer within a quartz cuvette. had some problems exposing this picture due to the tremendous contrast between the bright white legs and the very dark wings next time maybe we will try using a different colored background

The tricky Small Hive Beetle. One of the banes of bee keepers, Aethina tumida. Small things, about the size of half an eraser head. These beetles smell like bees and even sometimes get fed by bees. As you will see in another post showing the larva, it is not the adults that are the problem to the bee keeper it is ....the bad habits of the babies.

Feet of death for small insects and mammals. Aegolius acadicus, the Norther Saw-whet owl. This one unfortunately ran into a building in downtown DC at night while migrating.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Upper Marlboro, MD, May 2012

A wasp species. This specimen was collected as part of a bee survey of Cape Cod National Seashore and its larva are parasitoids of beetle grubs.

Yep, a starling egg...partially hidden by the clay holding it.