Images

Temnosoma, Unknown Metallic Cuckoo Bee, collected in Argentina.A metallic green bee similar to many metallic green bees in the Sweat Bee family Halictiadae, but if you were to look at one under the microscope you would find that the female has no pollen collecting hairs and thus would probably conclude that it is a bee but one that does not collect pollen and theref

Laphria thoracica, a Robber fly that mimics bees. The sit around waiting for a passing fly, attach, and then suck it dry. You should appreciate the fact that this species is measured in mm, captured by Tim McMahon and photographed by Wayne Boo

This is picture 4 from a 12 picture invited series by Matt Buffington (matt.buffington@usda.gov) at the USDA Parastitic Hymentoptera group using specimens from the U.S. Natural History Museum Smithsonian.

A widespread western hemisphere group, this is one of many bright green Augochlora species (others can range in the black to purple/blue spectrums), this one is special because it occurs only on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, where it was collected by Sara Prado in agricultural fields...a local pollinator.

The lovely drinkeyeball Augochlora pura...one of the most common bees of forests and forest edges, here with its tongue partially extended just to remind us how different bees are from mammals, remarkable really.

Augochlorella persimillis. A small but blingiful green bee. Oft confused with A. aurata and an interesting distribution, more MidWest but seemingly stops short of making it all the way to the East Coast...or does it? Some East Coast specimens look pretty much like this species, need to get out the molecular guns on those. Brooke Goggins is photographer.

Augochlorella persimillis. A small but blingiful green bee. Oft confused with A. aurata and an interesting distribution, more MidWest but seemingly stops short of making it all the way to the East Coast...or does it? Some East Coast specimens look pretty much like this species, need to get out the molecular guns on those. Brooke Goggins is photographer.

Augochloropsis anonyma

This bee is in your garden! Have you seen it? Collected on the Tomatoes in Francisco Posada's garden in Laurel, Maryland

For some reason I have not put up a Bombus perplexus shot yet. Here is one that Wayne Boo did a couple of years ago and I am just now getting around to shopping. 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.

More Bombus perplexus shots, in this case...males. You can tell they are males because they have 13 rather than 12 antennal segments and the hind legs lack the pollen carrying corbicula (bare area) on the tibia. Lemon yellow though! Specimens from Central Pennyslvania from Laura Russo's study there. Photographs by Kelly Graninger.

Sections of a male Bombus perplexus, illustrating the hair and shape patterns. A regular, but somewhat uncommon bumble bee, that is noted for the more extensive yellow hairs on the thorax and abdomen than most bumble bee species. Photographs by Greta Forbes.

Let us present the first record of Bombus rufocinctus for the state of Pennsylvania. This is a not uncommon northern and western species....it just hasn't been found in PA as of yet. Some notes on its identification.

Let us present the first record of Bombus rufocinctus for the state of Pennsylvania. This is a not uncommon northern and western species....it just hasn't been found in PA as of yet. Some notes on its identification.

This is the main orange butted Bumblebee of the East. Bombus ternarius. It can be very common in places like the Adirondacks where this one was collected, but occurs throughout a wide range of the Upper Midwest to New England and throughout southern Quebec and Ontario in our gardens and fields.

Bombus terrestris - A domesticated bee. Widely used in agriculture in green house pollination as well as in the field. Also one that has been introduced into several parts of the world... Causing major problems in South America where some combination of competition and disease harms the native bumble bees.

Bombus terrestris - A domesticated bee. Widely used in agriculture in green house pollination as well as in the field. Also one that has been introduced into several parts of the world... Causing major problems in South America where some combination of competition and disease harms the native bumble bees.

One of the species of bumble bees that have declined since the introduction of the pathogen Nosema bombi, but there are some suggestions that populations have managed to survive or increase a bit ,,,this one, captured by Laura Russo is at the southern edge of its range and a good sign for retention. Photograph by Greta Forbes.

Here is the first in a series of shots of a queen and male Bombus affinis...the newly minted endangered Bumble Bee. This specimen is from the National Collection at the Smithsonian and was collected in Racine, Wisconsin in 1965 when times were easy for this species. Collected by L.W.

Bombus ashtoni! This is news. This species of bumble bee is nest parasite. They take over the nests of other bumble bees and use the host's workers to produce their progeny. This one is special because its known hosts are B. affinis (the endangered Rusty-patched Bumble Bee) and B.

Bombus ashtoni! This is news. This species of bumble bee is nest parasite. They take over the nests of other bumble bees and use the host's workers to produce their progeny. This one is special because its known hosts are B. affinis (the endangered Rusty-patched Bumble Bee) and B.