A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.
Images
Eastern Ecological Science Center images.
A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.
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.
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.
First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.
First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.
The taper looks of a nest parasite of Megachile. This is Coelioxys gilensis. Found in Yosemite National park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Global Change Biol. 2016).
The taper looks of a nest parasite of Megachile. This is Coelioxys gilensis. Found in Yosemite National park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Global Change Biol. 2016).
20X Lens Tests. I am posting 3 pictures taken with a "new" 20X Mitutoyo Plan Apo Infinity Corrected Long WD Microscope Objective attached to an old 200mm Pentax lens. This allows me to start getting into some extreme stack territory. That said this lens new is over \$2000.00 U.S. However, I found a scratched one on Ebay for \$300.00.
20X Lens Tests. I am posting 3 pictures taken with a "new" 20X Mitutoyo Plan Apo Infinity Corrected Long WD Microscope Objective attached to an old 200mm Pentax lens. This allows me to start getting into some extreme stack territory. That said this lens new is over \$2000.00 U.S. However, I found a scratched one on Ebay for \$300.00.
Chrysochus auratus, dogbane beetle, Beltsvillle, Maryland, 2012
Chrysochus auratus, dogbane beetle, Beltsvillle, Maryland, 2012
Chrysochus auratus, dogbane beetle, Beltsvillle, Maryland, 2012
Chrysochus auratus, dogbane beetle, Beltsvillle, Maryland, 2012
Roooooarrrrrr!, Danger, creature from the black lagoon. Or...not. Here we have a close up look at the many interesting features that are left behind when a cicada emerges. This one was in my backyard and left his/her full body suit behind on the shed.
Roooooarrrrrr!, Danger, creature from the black lagoon. Or...not. Here we have a close up look at the many interesting features that are left behind when a cicada emerges. This one was in my backyard and left his/her full body suit behind on the shed.
Cicindelidae, U, face, Maryland, Anne Arundel County
Cicindelidae, U, face, Maryland, Anne Arundel CountyCicindela tranquebarica, a Tiger Beetle from one of the old sand mines that line the Patuxent River. Thankfully it is a sand mine that never was capped with clay and planted with invasive non-native plants...the standard operation in many parts of the country. Lisa Murray took the photographs. Thanks to Jonathan Mawdsley for the determination.
Cicindelidae, U, face, Maryland, Anne Arundel County
Cicindelidae, U, face, Maryland, Anne Arundel CountyCicindela tranquebarica, a Tiger Beetle from one of the old sand mines that line the Patuxent River. Thankfully it is a sand mine that never was capped with clay and planted with invasive non-native plants...the standard operation in many parts of the country. Lisa Murray took the photographs. Thanks to Jonathan Mawdsley for the determination.
New Maryland state record. Common Clay Bank Tiger beetle (Cicindella limbalis), or, in this case, the Uncommon Clay Bank Tiger beetle. The specimen and 2 others were found while we were hunting these (with permission) in the yet unopened Wills Mountain State Park in Western Maryland.
New Maryland state record. Common Clay Bank Tiger beetle (Cicindella limbalis), or, in this case, the Uncommon Clay Bank Tiger beetle. The specimen and 2 others were found while we were hunting these (with permission) in the yet unopened Wills Mountain State Park in Western Maryland.
Cow Path Tiger Beetle - Cicindella purpurea. Found on Will's Mountain outside of Cumberland Maryland. Found in low numbers in the Piedmont and Mountains of the state, a juicy little bug hunter. Photo by Erick Hernandez.
Cow Path Tiger Beetle - Cicindella purpurea. Found on Will's Mountain outside of Cumberland Maryland. Found in low numbers in the Piedmont and Mountains of the state, a juicy little bug hunter. Photo by Erick Hernandez.
What a beautiful name, ... an overlooked plant of woodlands, now I am wondering what its pollinators might be...when does it bloom, seems like maybe middle of summer when most of the bees are absent. Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.
What a beautiful name, ... an overlooked plant of woodlands, now I am wondering what its pollinators might be...when does it bloom, seems like maybe middle of summer when most of the bees are absent. Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.
A series of shots of Citrus Psyllid adults (including a recently emerged white adult) , and larvae of Diaphorina citri which is the transporting agent of citrus greening disease now devastating Florida's orange groves. Pictures taken at Level 3 level quarantine at USDA's Lab at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. Thanks to Tina Paul for fascilitating all of this.
A series of shots of Citrus Psyllid adults (including a recently emerged white adult) , and larvae of Diaphorina citri which is the transporting agent of citrus greening disease now devastating Florida's orange groves. Pictures taken at Level 3 level quarantine at USDA's Lab at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. Thanks to Tina Paul for fascilitating all of this.
A series of shots of Citrus Psyllid adults (including a recently emerged white adult) , and larvae of Diaphorina citri which is the transporting agent of citrus greening disease now devastating Florida's orange groves. Pictures taken at Level 3 level quarantine at USDA's Lab at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. Thanks to Tina Paul for fascilitating all of this.
A series of shots of Citrus Psyllid adults (including a recently emerged white adult) , and larvae of Diaphorina citri which is the transporting agent of citrus greening disease now devastating Florida's orange groves. Pictures taken at Level 3 level quarantine at USDA's Lab at Ft. Detrick, Maryland. Thanks to Tina Paul for fascilitating all of this.
Dominican Republic
Cardamine hirsuta, Beltsville, Maryland
Cardamine hirsuta, Beltsville, Maryland
Hold Poo Over its Body - Yep, this is Cassida rubiginosa the Thistle Tortoise Beetle brought over here to fight the Canada Thistle, which is not actually from Canada, but just another example of how we try to bring Canada down by associating it with Alien Pests.
Hold Poo Over its Body - Yep, this is Cassida rubiginosa the Thistle Tortoise Beetle brought over here to fight the Canada Thistle, which is not actually from Canada, but just another example of how we try to bring Canada down by associating it with Alien Pests.
A Western Hemisphere group, with a good number of species. These are very fast fliers and, at least the North American species tend to be crepuscular and plant specialists, often associated with sandy/dune areas.
A Western Hemisphere group, with a good number of species. These are very fast fliers and, at least the North American species tend to be crepuscular and plant specialists, often associated with sandy/dune areas.
A Western Hemisphere group, with a good number of species. These are very fast fliers and, at least the North American species tend to be crepuscular and plant specialists, often associated with sandy/dune areas.
A Western Hemisphere group, with a good number of species. These are very fast fliers and, at least the North American species tend to be crepuscular and plant specialists, often associated with sandy/dune areas.
Georgia, 2011, Rare Morning Glory Specialist
Georgia, 2011, Rare Morning Glory Specialist