Images

Unknown Chalcidoidea Wasp species from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

An unknown species of Wasp from the Dominican Republic, collected on a trip I took a couple of years ago. Photo by Kamren Jefferson, Photoshopping by Dejen Mengis. 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 species from Hardy County, West Virginia...likely an Ichneumonid. Photograph by Wayne Boo.

Unknown wasp, collected in Cecil County, Maryland by Tim McMahon Doug Yanega identified this as nyssonine, likely to be ZanyssonCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

Fun wasp from Kruger National Park. Note the expanded antennal ends (actually the other antennae snapped off). Most likely this is one of the pollen gathering wasps in Masserinae group. So, you thought only bees in the stinging category of insects gathered pollen. Nope. However, in North America, these wasps mostly, if not entirely show up only in the West.

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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.

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

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.

Pollen, pollen, pollen, pollen, on a Melissodes desponsa...a species usually associated with Thistles so this may well be thistle pollen. Note that while bees may carry loads of pollen on their legs...pollen usually gathers loosely all over the bee and this is thought to be the pollen that does much of the pollination on plants.

A December view of the Nebraska Sandhils - the largest uncultivated grassland in the North America.  This is one of the control sampling localities for the project on effects of crop production on prairie grouse microbiome. 

One of our frequent visitors at the Conte Lab: a juvenile bald eagle over the Turners Falls power canal. The canal provides the lab with water for fish rearing and flumes, and provides sustenance for eagles and osprey, minks and otters.

Histology laboratory with microtoming area to the left.  Microtoming is when tissues are cut into very thin slices and placed on glass slides prior to being stained and coveslipped.  In the center is the incubator where slides are dried when needed.

Histology laboratory with coverslipping area to the left.  Coverslipping is when tissues cross-sections that are dried onto slides are coverslipped with a thin piece of glass.  In the center is the file/record keeping area where every sample was logged and given a study number.

Kirby on a beach in Iceland, Nov 2019                                          

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center - Kearneysville, WV campus