Images

Unknown Scarab, found in bowl trap in the high plateau of West Virginia by Jane Whitaker, specimen approximately 8mm and floating in hand sanitzer...notice the 4 mites!

Schizocosa avida, in hand sanitizer in a cuvette, unknown species, September, Maryland, identified by Lady Arachnophile

Upper Marlboro, MD, May 2012

A wasp species. This specimen was collected as part of a bee survey of Cape Cod National Seashore and its larva are parasitoids of beetle grubs.

Another small mint ...here we have Scutellaria elliptica. Look close. What is going on here? Why all this architecture? lips, hoods, long corollas...why purple with white patches and spots...could it have to do with bees? so many questions. Specimen and photograph by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Blue or Mad Dog Skullcap - A common little perennial native mint. For some reason it only puts out flowers on one side of the stem. Having skullcaps is a sign that you are doing things right. Collected by Helen Lowe Metzman in Howard County Maryland.

I THINK this is a sedge, but sadly I just grabbed it quickly while at Finzel Swamp (western Maryland) where it was blooming in clumps around the edge of the large pond located there. Any corrections to my Sedge ID would be very welcome

Seeds and various parts of Senna hebecarpa, American Senna. The details of plants blooms and other body parts have their own beauty. Pictures and specimens by Helen Lowe Metzman, Howard County, MD.

American Wild Senna. A lovely, and slightly exotic wildflower found in Maryland, Howard County by Helen Lowe Metzman. I don't often see bees on this plant and from the structure of the plant it would seem to be oriented to pollination by bumble bees.

Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park - Thanks to Chris Thompson for the determination!

Uknown Cuerna sharpshooter from Fossil Butte National Monument

Dominican Republic, Lisa Hopper, Sharpshooter, suspended in hand sanitizer within a quartz cuvette. had some problems exposing this picture due to the tremendous contrast between the bright white legs and the very dark wings next time maybe we will try using a different colored background

Ah, a tiny little iris. One of the Blue-eyed Grasses. These make wonderful little tiny garden potted plants by the way. Bees visit them regularly, though the plant is so small its role as bee food is probably overlooked more than not. Sisyrinchium angustifolium. Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.

The tricky Small Hive Beetle. One of the banes of bee keepers, Aethina tumida. Small things, about the size of half an eraser head. These beetles smell like bees and even sometimes get fed by bees. As you will see in another post showing the larva, it is not the adults that are the problem to the bee keeper it is ....the bad habits of the babies.

Carrion Flower. Yep, fly pollinated...lovely vine design too. Smilax herbacea.

snake skin likely from a Black Rat Snake, Maryland, Soldier's Delight

Spodoptera eridania - Southern armyworm. A pest in southern parts of the U.S. mostly Florida. Defoliator of tomatoes and other crops. Not a candidate for the insect Miss Universe contest...or is is? I think close up there is a lot of beauty in this series of life history shots, but that is my personal opinion.

Spodoptera eridania - Southern armyworm. A pest in southern parts of the U.S. mostly Florida. Defoliator of tomatoes and other crops. Not a candidate for the insect Miss Universe contest...or is is? I think close up there is a lot of beauty in this series of life history shots, but that is my personal opinion.

Or an old dried caterpillar, unknown species, supplied to me by Ash the insect hunter. Photo by Sara Guerrieri. Update: Ash has provided and identification of this old Caterpillar and it is a Giant Leopard Moth, Hypercompe Scribonia.

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.

The head of a very small robber fly, how wonderful to see up close the insect solution to vision, Beltsville, Maryland