Images

A lovely nest parasite of Megachile (leaf-cutter bees)....from Franklin County, Virginia. Picture taken 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.

Coelioxys alternata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected by Stephanie Wilson at the Morris Arboretum

Coelioxys alternata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected by Stephanie Wilson at the Morris Arboretum

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

Still catching up...Here is the face of the Male of Coelioxys gilensis that was posted a while back. Note the fuzzy hairs on the compound eyes...good signature of the genus.

Coelioxys hunteri, male

Colby Francoeur took this picture of a Coelioxys moesta from Pictured Rocks National Monument in Keweenaw County, Michigan. This bee lays its eggs in the nests of Megachile bees. 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.

Coelioxys moesta, female, rare nest parasite of Megachile bees

Pseudagapostemon citricornis - More Chilean bees from Laurence Packer's expedition to southern Chile. Photographs by Kelly Graninger.

Epiclopis gayi - a cleptoparasitic bee (a.k.a nest parasite or cuckoo bee) of almost certainly Centris bees. Perhaps even of the Centris bee that was posted just prior to this as this bee was also collected in southern Chile on the expedition with Laurence Packer. Photos by Kelly Graniger and Anders Croft.

A little Chilicola species found on the expedition to southern Chile with Laurence Packer. A wee stem nesting bee. Photograph by Anders Croft.

A beautiful pale white and green horse fly from North Carolina, Chlorotabanus crepuscular, a drinker of blood that comes out only at dawn and dusk, this is a southern species I had not seen before. This specimen was collected in Duck, North Carolina by Lisa Kuder. Picture taken by Ashleigh Jacobs.

OK, we are going small, so small that the naked eye (or my naked eye) can't see these bad boys. The 20X Mitutoyo microscope objective opens up a new world. Here the mites on Bob Trumbule's mite infested Christmas Cactus come out beautifully. Too bad I have no idea what group/species they are. Note the stomata's in the picture of the nymph/larvae.

Another Chrysidid wasp (cuckoo wasp) from the Hart-Miller Dredge Spoil site in Baltimore Harbor, collected by Eugene Scarpulla, photographed by Brooke Alexander Identification by Lynn KimseyCanon 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, link to a .pdf of o

Centris fasciata, Cuba, GTMO, June 2011

Centris fasciata, male, abdomen, Cuba, GTMO, June 2011

Centris poecila, female, Cuba, GTMO June 2011

Ceratina buscki a very small shiny green species from Panama as collected by Sandra Rehan as part of her studies. Ceratina species are almost always stem nesters in the soft pith of brambles and other small woody plants and can be one of the most common bees in some areas.

Ceratina cockerelli, female

Playing a little bit here with a dark gray rather than black background, thoughts welcome. Yet more Ceratina pictures, diversity demands it. This series is from specimens collected in Panama by Sandra Rehan (UNH) as part of her mission to know everything there is to know about Ceratinas.

I particularly like the feel of this shot, something beyond documentation and more about relationship. Yet more Ceratina pictures, diversity demands it. This series is from specimens collected in Panama by Sandra Rehan (UNH) as part of her mission to know everything there is to know about Ceratinas.