Images

This very very rare bee invades the nests of bees in the genus Colletes. Captured by Heather Campbell in the Sandhills of North Carolina and photographed by Amber JoyceCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Photographer: Sam Droege, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

Rare, Rare, Rare. This Epeolus howardi, a nest parasite of one of the Cellophane Bees in the genus Colletes. Which species of Colletes, you ask, as is more often the case than not ... we don't know. This bee has only been collected a handful of times in the Mid-Atlantic states and that is about all we know.

A nest parasite...an invader of other bees nest's ... eggs are laid and the host's young killed and food eaten. In this case the host if Colletes latitarsis. This rather beat up specimen comes from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge....paid for with lots of donations to the mosquito population on the refuge. Photography by Ashleigh Jacobs.

That Badlands...of South Dakota. One of my favorite places and filled with bees! Here is Eucera aragalli from Badlands National Park. Juking on those colors. Photography by Dejen Mengis.

A beautiful spring Eucera from Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Eucera are almost always buff bees. Photograph by Dejen Mengis. 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.

An uncommon spring Eucerine bee, in this case, from SE Ohio near the West Virginia border. Collected by MaLisa Spring and photographed by Brooke Alexander.

DRONE! Apis mellifera male plundered from Dennis vanEngelsdorp's Lab. Washed and blown dried, buff. Photo by Sue Boo, interlab spy. 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.

Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).

The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.

The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.

The Blue-eyed Bee. Hoplitis pilosifrons. One of the Megachilidae...they tuck pollen under their abdomen to carry to their nests rather than on their legs like the classic honey bee model. Collected at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge ...a refuge not created for bees, but now embracing their bee communities with plantings and management.

A small, hole nesting bee, collected in Charles County Maryland, Hoplitis simplex is uncommonly found and is a specialist on the plant genus Phacelia. Bee specialists such as this little Hoplitis are fundamentally linked to the world's plant biodiversity...not Phacelia...no H. simplex. Photograph by Hannah Sutton.

A large Hoplitis, that occurs throughout most of North America East of the Rockies. Occurs in low numbers at most locations, in the Mid-Atlantic is is a June bee and associated with what would appear to be mostly Woody blooming plants. Something to consider in your planting pollinator plans... don't forget the blooming shrubs and small trees.

Aegean islands...have this lovely bee Jelle Devalez (the finder of this bee) writes: "Hoplitis tigrina: one of the largest species of Hoplitis usually found on large purple thistles." And so we must love purple thistles.

Aegean islands...have this lovely bee Jelle Devalez (the finder of this bee) writes: "Hoplitis tigrina: one of the largest species of Hoplitis usually found on large purple thistles." And so we must love purple thistles.

Some ratty specimens of Eucera dubitata from West Virginia. Photos by Kamren Jefferson.

Some ratty specimens of Eucera dubitata from West Virginia. Photos by Kamren Jefferson.

A rather dirty western Eucera fulvitarsis from Fossil Butte National Monument. Nice combination of blacks and ochers. Hopefully we will get a better specimens at some point. Photo by Maggie Yuan.

Not all orchid bees are entirely metallic green. Here is one from a rather uncommon genus, collected, in interior Guyana rainforest that illustrates the beauty of combining black and metallics...

Evaniid wasp, Maryland, Ensign Wasp 2012, possibly Hyptia harpyoides with help from Andy Deans, Anne Arundel County

Big, Big, Big, In all its black-winged metallic glory...this species is larger than any bee north of Mexico, we trekked 2 days into the jungles of Guyana to find it. This species, and the genus as a whole, is a nest parasite on other equally large canopy dwelling Orchid Bees.