Images

Hardy County, West Virginia

More from Yosemite National Park. Hmmm, that color, so blue, reminds me of famously blue bees such as Ceratina and Osmia...but, in this case, we are looking at Andrena chapmanae...one of the rare Andrena that are a strong metallic blue. I have to say that the combination of this midnight blue and deeply dark brown is very attractive.

More from Yosemite National Park. Hmmm, that color, so blue, reminds me of famously blue bees such as Ceratina and Osmia...but, in this case, we are looking at Andrena chapmanae...one of the rare Andrena that are a strong metallic blue. I have to say that the combination of this midnight blue and deeply dark brown is very attractive.

An Andrena bee that knows how to dress. Black hairs throughout with fluorescent orange pollen carrying hairs and a topmast of off-white. This is a northern / arctic species that occurs worldwide. Recent discoveries have shown its distribution extends to high elevations in West Virginia (thank you Jane).This specimen is from Maine (thank you Alison).

Jackson County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Jackson County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Leadplant lover. This bee species is a pollen specialist on Amorpha and was collected in Badlands National Park of South Dakota. Photographed by interns Joyce and ColbyCanon 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

Leadplant lover. This bee species is a pollen specialist on Amorpha and was collected in Badlands National Park of South Dakota. Photographed by interns Joyce and ColbyCanon 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

Andrena cragini, male, new species record for South Dakota from Badlands National Park as part of a park wide inventory, this small Andrena species appears to be a Leadplant pollen specialist Joyce, Colby, and Amber

Another shot of Andrena cressonii for the files..

This is a west coast Andrena....found, in this case, in Redwoods National Park right along the coast. I hope to get some more shots of the back and sides which have lovely patches of green hairs, an unusual color for bees in North America.

The male of the previous shot, note the metallic blue overtones to the integument (skin) of this bee....an uncommon characteristic in the genus Andrena. Also note the stacking artifact where the antennae arches across the top of the head. This can be corrected for in the stacking process, but, frankly, we don't have the time and few people notice such things.

Andrena distans...this girl has been dipping into the wild geranium pollen to feed her babies. Photograph by Dejen Mengis.

Probably a specialist on bindweed pollen, this group of bees runs from the Southwestern states down into southern South America. Note the expanded femurs of this male, interesting to speculate as to why. From the Packer Lab.

Andrena wellesleyana is one of the many Andrena species. It is also one of a number of species where the males have extensive yellow on their faces while the females are completely black. I the bulk of species both males and females have black faces.

Andrena accepta, female, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands national Park, South Dakota

A specialist on early spring blooming brassicas. This one was collected just a few days ago along a very urbanized and disturbed section of Indian Creek in Beltsville, Maryland. Other than an overstory of trees all the herbaceous material growing seem to be invasive plants.

Collected by Ellison Orcutt, in Caroline County Virginia this small spring Andrena is a fan girl of mustards, particularly the spring mustards that are native and occur in wooded and semi-shaded areas in the spring, often very early in the spring.

A small bee, whose female is a gatherer of pollen from native mustard plants. However, this is the male as can be told by counting the number of antennal segments (13) and by the fact that it has a bright white clypeus. Which, with very very rare exceptions is something that only male Andrena have. This is Andrena arabis.

One of many small Andrenas out in the spring in Eastern North America. This one favors the pollen of brassicas. Photoshopping by Thistle Droege, photograph by Dejen Mengis.