Images

Here is a lovely carpenter bee from the southeastern part of the U.S., a bit smaller than X. viginica and as far as I know nests in twigs rather and does no damage to timbers (not that X. virginica does much in the way of real structural damage).

The Virginia Carpenter bee. The bane of those who build with Cedar Siding, have redwood picnic tables, or who have barns made with softwoods. Other than the recently invaded Lithurgus chrysurus (we certainly will hear more about this wood eater in coming years), this is our only bee int he East that regularly makes holes in wooden structures.

Vespid wasp from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is one that we see periodically taking nips of nectar from some of the trees we study. No time to look up the species group, but likely it a social species of some kind. Large too, about the size of a bumblebee in length..,Photo by Erick Hernandez.

Setaria glauca, Yellow Foxtail, Beltsville, Maryland with dew, August 2012

Yucca filamentosa. A wild eastern Yucca. I always thought the odd Yucca in some beatup corner of the East was an escapee. But this is not the case as you can see here. Pollinated by moths, not bees. Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Culvers Root, Veronicastrum virginicum. Whenever this is in bloom it has bees on it. Specimen and Picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Culvers Root, Veronicastrum virginicum. Whenever this is in bloom it has bees on it. Specimen and Picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Unknown Vespidae, Yellowstone National Park,

Vespa crabro - The European Hornet...this one is actually in Europe, Denmark to be exact, where the nature artist, Anne Post's mother found this one dead in her garden. While somewhat beat up, it retains its essence as a well put together as a predator. Photograph by Ashleigh Jacobs or Hannah Sutton.

Part of the spring flush of woodland blooming shrubs. Bees do visit this group, but in my neck of the woods in the Mid-Atlantic there is not much to see despite the massive bloom in terms of visitors. Some much energy to make all that bloom...the plants can be covered...but so few pollinators...what's up with that? Specimen and pictures by Helen Low Metzman.

Seed head of a woodland violet. Tiny, fluffy, and mysteriously hairy. Found in the swampy woods behind my house today, Upper Marlboro, Maryland...

Seed head of a woodland violet. Tiny, fluffy, and mysteriously hairy. Found in the swampy woods behind my house today, Upper Marlboro, Maryland...

One of the many forms that Megachile (leaf cutting bees) come in. this lovely all black species with the white crew cut comes from Chile. From the Packer Lab. A small very black bee with an extremely wide head.Note the lobe projecting from the "cheek" back towards the thorax.

Unknown species of wasp from the Dominican Republicpossibly a Crabronidae, Pemphredoninae, Psenini wasp?

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

One of the very common Flower Chafers....They often fake me out when collecting bees on flowers as they fly amazingly well.

The Cabbage Looper. 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.

A rather dark and dangerous looking be from Chile. This is

This species nests in standing dead columnar cactus in South America. The genus as a whole lives along the western coast of South America. Interestingly one of the species has been found to nest in horse manure, which brings up the point of where did they nest before horses were introduced into South America. So many mysteries.

Note the lovely bee tools this species has, in the shape of expanded tibial spurs.This species nests in standing dead columnar cactus in South America. The genus as a whole lives along the western coast of South America.

A new Washington DC record, Triepeolus cressonii, captured in the Kenilworth aquatic Gardens along the Anacostia River. A very urban landscape, but one that still retains quite a bit of original nature thanks to the work of the National Park Service maintains the property as well as adjacent areas along this quiet backwater.