Images

One the spider wasps that are often called Tarantula Hawks, many often display various shades of red in their wings, perhaps as a warning to birds as their sting is notoriously painful. This one was collected on the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba and photographed by Aaman Mengis

Pompilid Spider Wasp, Central Highlands High Elevation Domincan RepublicPepsis ruficornis

petrified Forest national Park, Apache County, Arizona

Osmia rufohirta - An Osmia from the Grecian Isles that nests in snail shells. Not this specimen as it is a male and does essentially nothing but mate. Lots of reddish hairs on this species as the name implies. Specimen collected by Jelle Devalez.

Osmia trevoralis...more Osmia loveliness.... this time from Yellowstone National Park. 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.

Perhaps one of the most colorful Osmia, Osmia versicolor, collected by Jelle Devalez on the Aegean Islands of Greece. Yet another snail shell nester. What would these species do if there were no snail shells and no snails to make them? Photography by Maggie Yuan.

This is a bee most often associated with woodland blueberries in our studies. In this case the specimen came from Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts.

Aniseroot - Smells of licorice and a widely used medicinal and food plant. Osmorrhiza longistylis. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Fuzzy head of the Cinnamon Fern , Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Whoops, forgot to add this shot of Oxaea to the last set...nice shot of the big nose on this species.

Cuba, GTMO, Guantanamo Bay

A bee with great form. The shot of this from Africa from the back reminds me of sputnik. As in all the anthidiini it is a wonderful combination of deep pits and tastefully arrayed colors. I think such designs would look great as warrior outerwear.

Golden Ragwort, Packera aurea. Common in Appalachia...and spotty on the coastal plains. Favored by Andrena gardineri...who feed their young only pollen from this plant. A nice ground cover plant for gardens, particularly shaded ones....Photo and specimens from Helen Lowe Metzman.

Golden Ragwort, Packera aurea. Common in Appalachia...and spotty on the coastal plains. Favored by Andrena gardineri...who feed their young only pollen from this plant. A nice ground cover plant for gardens, particularly shaded ones....Photo and specimens from Helen Lowe Metzman.

From the northern hemisphere comes ... Panurginus. A common group of largely dark little bees, with the males, at times having yellow on their faces, in keeping with the general pattern of males having more yellow than females.

Paracolletes species, On and Off Bee, specimen collected in AustraliaThis species is unusually sexually dimorphic in color. The males are quite bright, as can be seen here, the females are what might be called the "null hypothesis" for bee coloration "“ brownish grey on the head and thorax with a black abdomen with white transverse hair bands.

A nest parasite from the dry regions of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, this group infiltrates the communal nests of Exomalopsis to lay their eggs in the nest cells being built. Lovely combination of plush hair bands and shiny integument.

A nest parasite from the dry regions of Mexico and the Southwestern United States, this group infiltrates the communal nests of Exomalopsis to lay their eggs in the nest cells being built. Lovely combination of plush hair bands and shiny integumen.

Why do you insist, Pilgrim, on planting your garden with geraniums, tea roses, and begonias? You could be planting your garden to Woodlands sunflowers and then you would have the opportunity to help out the uncommon and undoubtedly declining Paranthidium jugatorium.

Perdita asteris, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Perdita asteris, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona