Images

Ah, the lovely wild hummingbird attracting Cardinal Flower. Nice to have bright red emerging from the wetlands every once in a while. Photograph and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.

The Giant Stag beetle ....Lucanus elephus....a huge beetle of eastern forests. This specimen can from California, Maryland and was collected by members of Bartlett Tree Company.

One of approximately 1 billions (actually it is nearly 2000) species of Lasioglossum in the world. This one is from Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Interestingly, most of these species appear to be generalists so one wonders how they partition their tiny worlds.

Lasioglossum lineatulum is defined in my mind by having relatively few pits on its scutum, a shinyish abdomen, and long straitions on the propodeal triangle. Otherwise it looks similar to the 100 plus other species in the group. This one was captured on Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.

Here is a little tiny parasitic bee whose host is a little tiny Lasioglossum that is often very common in disturbed / lawn areas (L. imitatum). Note the big head...the long straight pointy jaws and you may have an idea about what they could be used for...but has anyone seen this? No...you should investigate instead of looking at your mobile screen all day.

From Cumberland Island National Seashore another little Lasioglossum from the glossy metallic Dialictus group. As its name implies...it has an unusually long head.

From Organ Pipe National Monument comes the small and very common western Lasioglossum microlepoides. Just like the seemingly endless supply of these small Halictid bees, it is slightly metallic and and has a strongly bent basal vein. One could spent a couple lives just figuring out the different species. Photography by Brooke Alexander.

Lasioglossum nevadense from San Juan Islands National Monument in the farrrr northwest corner of the United States mainland.

Cuba, GTMO, Guantanamo Bay

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Bryce Canyon, little tiny sweat bees, lots of different species. Not what people come to see, but what you now can see here because the National Park Service cares. Photography by Brooke Alexander.

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.

Rare. This small little Lasioglossum sequoiae is all black. This particular specimen was collected in the San Juan Islands of Washington in the National Historic Park and identified by the fabulous Jason Gibbs. This represents a major range extension for all the previous specimens we are aware of are known from California.

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...

A rather lovely Lasioglossum from Bryce Canyon National Park (L. sisymbrii) als black and white stripes. Common in the West...leaking a bit into the plains, but not much.

Lasioglossum sopinci lives in sand deserts in Eastern North America.

Lasioglossum sopinci lives in sand deserts in Eastern North America.

Lasioglossum surianae, Male, Florida, Miami-Dade County

Nacogodoches County, texas, Big Thicket National Preserve

Lasioglossum gotham is a small sweat bee, that I find mostly in the early spring, mostly in Woodlands and I suspect it is very much keyed in to nesting in upturned root masses of trees in those woodlands.

Lasioglossum truncatum, female, Pink overtones is from reflections from the stand we were using at the time, the bee is entirely black and white