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Eastern Ecological Science Center images.

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Orthonevra nitida engravers eye, face, pg county, md
Orthonevra nitida engravers eye, face, pg county, md
Orthonevra nitida engravers eye, face, pg county, md

Lovely in its hieroglyphic eyes and metallic chrome plating, this is a tiny little flower fly, just one of many insect models designed without us in mind. That said, it would make a lovely car design. Captured at a stream crossing in Beltsville, Maryland.

Lovely in its hieroglyphic eyes and metallic chrome plating, this is a tiny little flower fly, just one of many insect models designed without us in mind. That said, it would make a lovely car design. Captured at a stream crossing in Beltsville, Maryland.

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Osmia albifrons, side
Osmia albifrons, side
Osmia albifrons, side

One has to admit, this is a damn awesome bee. I love these colors. The specimen came from the Adirondack Mountains of New York during their BioBlitz 2 years ago. Evocative. 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.

One has to admit, this is a damn awesome bee. I love these colors. The specimen came from the Adirondack Mountains of New York during their BioBlitz 2 years ago. Evocative. 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.

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Osmia andrenoides, F, Side, Greece, Aegean Islands Lesvos Mytilene
Osmia andrenoides, F, Side, Greece, Aegean Islands Lesvos Mytilene
Osmia andrenoides, F, Side, Greece, Aegean Islands Lesvos Mytilene

How unusual. An Osmia with a red abdomen. Very rare. Also as a cool aside. This one also nests in snail shells. Collected by Jelle Devalez on the Aegean islands of Greece. Pictures taken by Maggie Yuan. Shopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

How unusual. An Osmia with a red abdomen. Very rare. Also as a cool aside. This one also nests in snail shells. Collected by Jelle Devalez on the Aegean islands of Greece. Pictures taken by Maggie Yuan. Shopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

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Osmia atriventris, f, back, beltsville, md
Osmia atriventris, f, back, beltsville, md
Osmia atriventris, f, back, beltsville, md

One of the common spring Osmia, this specimen came from bowl traps right at the lab...unlike other specimens it was processed right away and the luminescence of the eyes of this particular specimen retained at least some of the flavor of what they look like when alive.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flas

One of the common spring Osmia, this specimen came from bowl traps right at the lab...unlike other specimens it was processed right away and the luminescence of the eyes of this particular specimen retained at least some of the flavor of what they look like when alive.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flas

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Osmia georgica, f, face, Talbot Co, MD
Osmia georgica, f, face, Talbot Co, MD
Osmia georgica, f, face, Talbot Co, MD

An eastern Osmia....this is Osmia georgica. Noted for the large projecting horns on its mandibles that likely help the female carry mud to her nest to make partitions. A hole nester that will take up residence in holes you drill in your front porch posts like I do. Photos by Ashleigh Jacobs.

An eastern Osmia....this is Osmia georgica. Noted for the large projecting horns on its mandibles that likely help the female carry mud to her nest to make partitions. A hole nester that will take up residence in holes you drill in your front porch posts like I do. Photos by Ashleigh Jacobs.

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Osmia georgica, f, head, michael veit, powerlines
Osmia georgica, f, head, michael veit, powerlines
Osmia georgica, f, head, michael veit, powerlines

Osmia georgica. Nests in holes. Hangs out on mid summer composites. Has orange pollen carrying hairs. Has boss knobs on the upper side of the mandibles (why?). This specimen found on Dave Wagner's transmission line study in New England by Michael Veit. All good.

Osmia georgica. Nests in holes. Hangs out on mid summer composites. Has orange pollen carrying hairs. Has boss knobs on the upper side of the mandibles (why?). This specimen found on Dave Wagner's transmission line study in New England by Michael Veit. All good.

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Osmia georgica, f, side, Talbot Co, MD
Osmia georgica, f, side, Talbot Co, MD
Osmia georgica, f, side, Talbot Co, MD

Osmia georgica. A relatively regular, but not overly abundant hole nesting Osmia. While small it is notable for have what looks like growths on its mandibles, making them quite distinctive. These elevations are probably used to help carry mud to the nests while forming partitions between their cells. Photography by Ashleigh Jacobs.

Osmia georgica. A relatively regular, but not overly abundant hole nesting Osmia. While small it is notable for have what looks like growths on its mandibles, making them quite distinctive. These elevations are probably used to help carry mud to the nests while forming partitions between their cells. Photography by Ashleigh Jacobs.

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Osmia georgica, m, face, Maryland
Osmia georgica, m, face, Maryland
Osmia georgica, m, face, Maryland

The oft times difficult to id male of the not so hard to id female Osmia georgica. Sometimes bees are inconvenient to work with. Picture by Amanda Robinson. 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.

The oft times difficult to id male of the not so hard to id female Osmia georgica. Sometimes bees are inconvenient to work with. Picture by Amanda Robinson. 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.

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Osmia inspergens, F, Face, MA, Barnstable County
Osmia inspergens, F, Face, MA, Barnstable County
Osmia inspergens, F, Face, MA, Barnstable County

A bee I often associate with Sandy areas...this one captured on Cape Cod National Seashore as part of comparative studies of dune loving bees.

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Osmia inurbana, f, back, Oneida Co. ID
Osmia inurbana, f, back, Oneida Co. ID
Osmia inurbana, f, back, Oneida Co. ID

This bee is part of a taxonomic mystery spanning the continent. It turns out that the male of this species is very likely named as O. trevoris, by a long ago taxonomist., All specimens were thought to be limited to the West, but....there were these strange Osmia around the Great Lakes that were sometimes called (incorrectly it now seems) O.

This bee is part of a taxonomic mystery spanning the continent. It turns out that the male of this species is very likely named as O. trevoris, by a long ago taxonomist., All specimens were thought to be limited to the West, but....there were these strange Osmia around the Great Lakes that were sometimes called (incorrectly it now seems) O.

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Osmia kincaidii, back, f, Mariposa CA
Osmia kincaidii, back, f, Mariposa CA
Osmia kincaidii, back, f, Mariposa CA

Ah, another beautiful green Osmia bee from the western U.S. O. kincaidii is the name, makes nest in holes in wood and lines them with leaf pulp. Praise the color selections that Nature provides. Collected in Yosemite National Park by Claire Kremen's Bee Troopers. Photograph by Anders Croft.

Ah, another beautiful green Osmia bee from the western U.S. O. kincaidii is the name, makes nest in holes in wood and lines them with leaf pulp. Praise the color selections that Nature provides. Collected in Yosemite National Park by Claire Kremen's Bee Troopers. Photograph by Anders Croft.

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Osmia kincaidii, face, f, Mariposa CA
Osmia kincaidii, face, f, Mariposa CA
Osmia kincaidii, face, f, Mariposa CA

Ah, another beautiful green Osmia bee from the western U.S. O. kincaidii is the name, makes nest in holes in wood and lines them with leaf pulp. Praise the color selections that Nature provides. Collected in Yosemite National Park by Claire Kremen's Bee Troopers. Photograph by Anders Croft.

Ah, another beautiful green Osmia bee from the western U.S. O. kincaidii is the name, makes nest in holes in wood and lines them with leaf pulp. Praise the color selections that Nature provides. Collected in Yosemite National Park by Claire Kremen's Bee Troopers. Photograph by Anders Croft.

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Osmia laeta, f, face, Mariposa, CA
Osmia laeta, f, face, Mariposa, CA
Osmia laeta, f, face, Mariposa, CA

Osmia laeta. There are quite a number of Osmia out there. Despite their beauty, they can be irritatingly difficult to split apart. People who can help with identifications are definitely the bottleneck. This beauty comes from Yosemite National Park...part of the many studies of the Claire Kremen lab. Photo by Samia Shell and Lela Versteegen.

Osmia laeta. There are quite a number of Osmia out there. Despite their beauty, they can be irritatingly difficult to split apart. People who can help with identifications are definitely the bottleneck. This beauty comes from Yosemite National Park...part of the many studies of the Claire Kremen lab. Photo by Samia Shell and Lela Versteegen.

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Osmia lignaria, F, Side, Washington, DC
Osmia lignaria, F, Side, Washington, DC
Osmia lignaria, F, Side, Washington, DC

The classic Blue Orchard Bee, that many gardeners make nests for by drilling blocks of wood or buying little houses or straws. All well and good except for the fact that 2 recent Asian Osmia species are now starting to dominate populations in both urban and rural areas. O. taurus and O. cornifrons.

The classic Blue Orchard Bee, that many gardeners make nests for by drilling blocks of wood or buying little houses or straws. All well and good except for the fact that 2 recent Asian Osmia species are now starting to dominate populations in both urban and rural areas. O. taurus and O. cornifrons.

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Osmia paradisica, F, Back, Nevada, White Pine County
Osmia paradisica, F, Back, Nevada, White Pine County
Osmia paradisica, F, Back, Nevada, White Pine County

Who doesn't love an Osmia...particularly an Osmia paradisica from the under visited Great Basin National Park. 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.

Who doesn't love an Osmia...particularly an Osmia paradisica from the under visited Great Basin National Park. 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.

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Osmia paradisica, F, Side, Nevada, White Pine County
Osmia paradisica, F, Side, Nevada, White Pine County
Osmia paradisica, F, Side, Nevada, White Pine County

Who doesn't love an Osmia...particularly an Osmia paradisica from the under visited Great Basin National Park. 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.

Who doesn't love an Osmia...particularly an Osmia paradisica from the under visited Great Basin National Park. 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.

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Nomada parva, Female, Side, Maryland, Wicomico County
Nomada parva, Female, Side, Maryland, Wicomico County
Nomada parva, Female, Side, Maryland, Wicomico County

One of the tiniest of all the Nomada..so small that it made no sense to try and Photoshop out the pin on which it was glued. We are production operation, rarely do we have the luxury of having specimens that we can prepare beforehand for picture taking. Thus you take what is given to you.

One of the tiniest of all the Nomada..so small that it made no sense to try and Photoshop out the pin on which it was glued. We are production operation, rarely do we have the luxury of having specimens that we can prepare beforehand for picture taking. Thus you take what is given to you.

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Nomada rubicunda, m, back, Worchester Co, MD
Nomada rubicunda, m, back, Worchester Co, MD
Nomada rubicunda, m, back, Worchester Co, MD

Nomada rubicunda. This species is a nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon....most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. This species is probably focused on Agapostemon splendens. Photographed by Joseph Malone and Amanda Robinson. One of only two records for Maryland, collected on fossil dunes by Jen Frye.

Nomada rubicunda. This species is a nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon....most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. This species is probably focused on Agapostemon splendens. Photographed by Joseph Malone and Amanda Robinson. One of only two records for Maryland, collected on fossil dunes by Jen Frye.

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Nomada rubicunda, m, side, Worchester Co, MD
Nomada rubicunda, m, side, Worchester Co, MD
Nomada rubicunda, m, side, Worchester Co, MD

Nomada rubicunda. This species is a nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon....most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. This species is probably focused on Agapostemon splendens. Photographed by Joseph Malone and Amanda Robinson. One of only two records for Maryland, collected on fossil dunes by Jen Frye.

Nomada rubicunda. This species is a nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon....most Nomada are nest parasites of Andrena. This species is probably focused on Agapostemon splendens. Photographed by Joseph Malone and Amanda Robinson. One of only two records for Maryland, collected on fossil dunes by Jen Frye.

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Nomada seneciophila, m, back, md, charles county
Nomada seneciophila, m, back, md, charles county
Nomada seneciophila, m, back, md, charles county

Here is the male of the very rare, Nomada seneciophila, found for the first time in Maryland, Charles County. As is often the case the males look quite different from the females. This is one of a handful of species that have modified antennae segments, with small spines, sculpting and elongations compared to other groups of Nomada.

Here is the male of the very rare, Nomada seneciophila, found for the first time in Maryland, Charles County. As is often the case the males look quite different from the females. This is one of a handful of species that have modified antennae segments, with small spines, sculpting and elongations compared to other groups of Nomada.

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