Images

In rough translation this would be the "Florida Masked Bee." Tiny, grain of rice things, and usually mistaken for wasps as they carry their pollen internally rather than in their body hairs like other bees. Thus they have reverted to the wasp shape from whence bees came.

New State Record for Maryland, April 2012 Collected on Willow blooms in Dorchester County....a very rarely collected bee east of the Mississippi. I don't know any recent records

Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, non-native species, collected by Stephanie Wilson

For some reason this species, Hylaeus leptocephalus, one of the masked bees, is one of the first non-native bees ever detected in the Americas. Oddly, it was first detected in the Dakotas around 1900. There must be a good story there, but we don't know what it is.... Reasonably common now, but mostly in disturbed, urban environments.

Masked Bee from Dorchester County. An alien masked bee, Hylaeus leptocephalus to be exact. In Maryland (in this case, Cambridge, Maryland) it is almost completely restricted to the urban weedy lot and industrial tract. Railroad lines...the best. Photography by Amanda Robinson.

Small resin nest building bees. Most of the genus hails from South America with one species making it up into southern Mexico. Another from the Packer lab!

The spots of the Spotted St. Johnswort are much more dramatic when viewed close up. Why are they spotted one wonders. Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.

The spots of the Spotted St. Johnswort are much more dramatic when viewed close up. Why are they spotted one wonders. Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Here is a common late summer species of the Grecian Isles. Often found on flowering brambles, asters and other summer flowers. This specimen was collected by Jelle Devalez as part of ongoing studies of the bees in this bee rich part of the world. Photographs by Brooke Alexander.

Impatiens capensis, Common or spotted Jewelweed. A lover of wet spots, its vegetation is viscous, wet, and used as a wash when you may have been contacted by Poison Ivy. The flowers are total bumble bee bait ...just the right size and the spur at the back end is full of nectar. The orange color is also highly attractive to hummingbirds as a bonus.

Impatiens capensis, Common or spotted Jewelweed. A lover of wet spots, its vegetation is viscous, wet, and used as a wash when you may have been contacted by Poison Ivy. The flowers are total bumble bee bait ...just the right size and the spur at the back end is full of nectar. The orange color is also highly attractive to hummingbirds as a bonus.

As happens rarely in bees, this bee exhibits both characters of males and females, with bilateral asymmetry. Found by MaLisa Spring in Marietta, Ohio as part of her studies of the bees or the region, which in addition to this species discovered several new state records and rare bees.

A honey bee, lovely in all its commonness. Collected near the Mall in Washington D.C. 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,

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).

Hoplitis fulgida, a female from Grand Tetons National Park, collected as part of a study of climate change. Most species in this genus are the normal black colored bee things, but a few, like this one are, as the Latin in name implies, glittering jewels. Sierra Williams took this stacked shot. Elizabeth Garcia Shopped it.

Hoplitis fulgida (fulgid is Latin for bling). This is one of our early shots, taken of a bee from Grand Teton National Park. It is a terrible specimen in many ways, not symmetrically arrayed, a bit crumpled, probably why I had ignored it.

Hoplitis pilosifrons. Oft overlooked. This species is relatively common occurring in almost any substantive collection of bees from a region or location anywhere East of the Rockies. It has the bad habit of being bland in its characters and often leads to misidentifications.

Prince George's County, Maryland

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.

Here is an approximately 100 year old specimen from the Smithsonian that we recently obtained from old loans. A relatively obscure group from South America...this one come from South America. The only host record I can find is from Colletes. Picture by Samia Shell.