Images

Spicebush, Lindera benzoin, while early blooming, I see few if any bees on the flowers. This specimen collected and photographed by Helen Lowe Metzman in Howard County, Maryland.

Lindernia dubia, false pimpernel, one of numerous low growing flowering plants that feed the many tiny bees that live out there, that we don't pay any attention to. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

A lovely and quirky looking Liphanthus from Southern Chile. Capture on expedition with Laurence Packer in 2017. Photograph by Anders Croft.

Lipotriches , Plain Sweat Bee , collected in AustraliaThis is one of the bees in which the males are known to form sleeping aggregations "“ small groups to dozens of individuals clustering together on the same twig late in the afternoon and remaining there until after dawn.

Yes, we must see more Lasioglossum species in the Dialictus group, just so you start respecting what bee biologists have to deal with. We are subtle subtle people. Lasioglossum sedi here...from Bryce Canyon National Park. Geology is overated when it is bee season in the park. Photography By Brooke Alexander.

Here is a little tiny nest parasite, Lasioglossum simplex, that parasitizes one of its sister taxa (likely L. trigeminum). While it retains the overall look and feel of its pollen carrying upright relatives, it has no pollen carrying hairs and its mandibles lack the tooth at the end and instead are simple sabres...

We have had pictures of this sand lover before, but just got this one fresh from a study of a local sand mine where with the state mines division they created new bee habitat as a trial and this sand specialist was glad to show up.

From Bryce Canyon National Park comes a small Lasioglossum, similar to many other species of this specious genus. Western in distribution I know actually nothing about its life. Picture by Brooke Alexander.

A very southern Lasioglossum, this one sneaking up the coast only about as far as this site on Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Another one of those metallic Lasioglossums in the Dialictus group....so similar until you look at them under the microscope ...where they continue to look so similar. It is a world of nuance to us, but somehow many Lasioglossum species evolve, do different things, partition the sexual universe and become species.

Another one of those metallic Lasioglossums in the Dialictus group....so similar until you look at them under the microscope ...where they continue to look so similar. It is a world of nuance to us, but somehow many Lasioglossum species evolve, do different things, partition the sexual universe and become species.

A very southern Lasioglossum, this one sneaking up the coast only about as far as this site on Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Nacogodoches County, texas, Big Thicket National Preserve

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Mystery Moth pupal case from Chincoteague Island, Virginia on playground equipment found by they very young naturalist Luke Whitaker while playing. This cuccon is about 12mm long. One can see the playground effect in that polyester is incorporated into the cocoon along with lichens and bark. Very modern. Could use help in determining the species.

The Endangered Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, looking somewhat like a little fluffy kitten, poodle insect thing

A series of pictures from Silas Bossert from the National Collection at the Smithsonian. They use their own hi res camera equipment, but prefer a light background. Macronomia crocodilensis. A nomiin bee that used to lounge around in the Lipotriches genus but has recently been separated out.

Macropis ciliata - Possibly the first record for this species in about 100 years. This genus has grown very uncommon and I finally found a specimen along a rocky powerline in Washington County in a small patch of whorled loosestrife a few days ago.

A small bee that specializes in collecting oil along with pollen and probably some nectar from plants in the genus Lysimachia, the loosestrife's (but not the invasive garden loosestrife or purple loosestrife).

Macrotera latior, female, Petrified Forest National Park, NPS, Arizona

Petrified Forrest National Monument = Rich in bees and bee species. In this case the semi cute Mactrotera latior. Many the these tiny Macrotera are plant specialists garnering pollen from only a few plant species. Sierra Willams took the pictures and Elizabeth Garcia did the photoshopping.