Images

Oh look, another Triepeolus. In this case it is T. helianthi from West Virginia from Kanawha County. Most likely this was collected by the fabulous Jane Whitaker, who covered most of the state in her collecting adventures. A fabulous contribution in an unexplored beescape. Photo by Sara Guerrieri.

Another nest parasite. Another Triepeolus. This time is is T. lunatus. A common species for a nest parasite in that it shows up regularly. The thought is that it is the nest parasite of Melissodes bimaculata which is perhaps the most abundant long-horned bee in the East, but probably is more generic in what Melissodes' nest it will invade.

A very rare bee. This one was on one of our lists of bees that have not been seen in the last 20 years until Sabrie Breland found one in southern Georgia in a old managed longleaf pine plantation. Once suspects that if as a society we were to protect and encourage more native plants and habitats more would be discovered.

Powerlines. Or more accurately transmission corridors. Now one of the few places that open country forb communities exist in many parts of the East. Often seen as a blight, they if not mown or sprayed to death, are places of refuge for many rare bees.

Here is a bee, Triepeolus remigatus, that is native to North America, but in much of the continent occurs only because of the crops we plant. In this case that crop is squash and pumpkins.

One of a few undescribed Triepeolus that Molly Rightmyer left undescribed after her revision of the group North of Mexico. She simply labeled it Sp. 101. This one was captured by Tim McMahon in Cochise County, Arizona.

A small Triopasites specimen from Cochise County, Arizona. Collected by Don Harvey on one of his expeditions to the area. This wee bee is a nest parasite of a group of similarly sized wee bees in the genus Anthophorula, mostly, but not entirely desert species. Lots to learn about this group. Photograph by Sydney Price.

The black onion fly...Tritoxa flexa. So fabulous in coloration. Picture by Wayne Boo, Photoshopping 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.

Vitis...grapes, one of the wild species in Maryland. Species unknown at this time. Note that bees have little interest in grapes, most, if not all, grapes are self-fertilized so one rarely sees bee visitors here. Picture and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman in Howard County, Maryland.

Unknown Wasp, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Florida

I believe this to be a wasp in the Genus Ectemnius, but I don't know for sure as I just am not a wasp expert. This one was collected in the Neck District of Talbot County Maryland a few weeks ago. Photo by Wayne Boo.

A very small micro spider from Prince George's County Maryland, which presumably gathers very small spiders for its nests. Apparently, these little spider wasps are very difficult to identify., but quite beautiful in their powdery grayness. Photograph by Sierra Williams and Photshopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

Unknown Aculeate Wasp, Prince George's County Maryland

likely scelionine genus Sparasion, determined by Roger A. Burks and Doug Yanega, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Florida

Unknown Wasp, Yellowstone National Park, 2012

Unknown microhymenoptera, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The Madagascan sunset moth, yes indeed a Moth not a butterfly. Endemic to the Island of Madagascar. Large, migratory, and day flying it is another example of Nature's breaking of the rules. The colors are not created by pigments but by the structure of the scales themselves (look it up...very cool).

One of the most common bees in the East...if only we could figure out how to identify it more easily. Here we have Lasioglossum trigeminum. Fits right in with A. admirandum, A. versatum, and A. callidum and I often struggle with dark second thoughts about the specimens Id, because of all the overlap.

Japanase Burrowing Cricket, Velarifictorus micado, Beltsville, Maryland, July 2012, A reporter from Wired Magazine commented that this specimen was remarkably similar to Rodin's "The Thinker"

Velvet Ant or Cow Killer, Mutillidae unknown species from Badlands National Park. So charistmatic. 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.

Anticarsia gemmatalis - Velvetbean Caterpillar - Soybean eater....this species can't overwinter in most of North America but moves north to populate bean and legume fields in large enough numbers to become a major pest, but like our other pesty moths...pretty sharp looking when you get to know them personally. Specimen provided by Benzon Research.