Images

Pseudopanurgus rugosus, collected by the glorious State of Virginia Natural Heritage group. This whole group is a bit of a nightmare. Uncommon, tiny, often very similar looking and widely ignored by taxonomists. I often have to leave them as sp....or as we say 'spuh'.

Pseudoplusia includens, Bowie, Maryland

Putting up the last 2 in the sieres of this species.Pterocheilus quinquefasciatus. - Hunter of caterpillars...in this case, hunter of caterpillars in South Dakota Badlands.

If you were to plant one plant for watching bees in your garden it would be this one Pycnathemum muticum (Mountain Mint). If forms clumps about 2 feet tall, with a uniform spread of continuous blooms. So many wasps and bees come its absolutely fabulous.

Ranunculus species

Red maple, whole

Reticulitermes flavipes, Eastern Subterranean Termite, worker, Beltsville, Maryland, floating in hand sanitizer

Rhinocyllus conicus, the Eurasian flower head weevil, infests flower heads of Pitcher's thistle at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Its presence was first discovered in 2012. The weevil is a biocontrol agent for musk thistle, Carduus nutans. Picture by Wayne Boo.

Here is both and interesting bit of history and an interesting bit of photography. This is a small portion of a slate gorget (on the right hand side you can see a hole that we drilled). This fragment was found along the banks of the Patuxent River in Maryland but the slate is from Central Ohio.

Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, Apache County

A wee 2mm Perilampid from Hart-Miller Island in the Chesapeake Bay collected by Gene Scarpulla and awaiting final deterimination.

The smiling face of an American Cockroach...if you get over your pre-consieved notions, these are really pretty handsome insects and most people would not recognize them if they saw this picture.

Bittacomorpha clavipes - Here is a 10x shot of this lovely flies face, collected in my back yard in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Seems to have a very odd tongue.

Phenacolletes mimus, Australian Shorthair, specimen collected by Laurence Packer in AustraliaIn the dry, sparsely populated portions of Western Australia one can find the Australian Shorthair. While it is a pollen collecting bee, it has very short hairs, making it similar to some of the short, thick bodied waspy relatives of bees.

Phenacolletes mimus, Australian Shorthair, specimen collected by Laurence Packer in AustraliaIn the dry, sparsely populated portions of Western Australia one can find the Australian Shorthair. While it is a pollen collecting bee, it has very short hairs, making it similar to some of the short, thick bodied waspy relatives of bees.

Gall on Pin Oak, October, 2012, Prince George's County, Maryland

Possibly Merocoris distinctus...can any one confirm? Photographed by Dejen Mengis

Perdita albihirta geraeae, female, Petrified Forest National Park

Perdita asteris, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Fort Mantanzas has more cool bees to share with use from a tiny coastal monument run by the park service along the upper coast of Florida. This time more junior bees in the genus Perdita. Photography by Sierra Williams, photoshopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida. A good place to find bees as well as forts. This long-tongued mini-bee was found there.