Images

Photo Contest Winner | March 2020 | Where We Work
Red-crowned cranes at USGS Wildlife Toxicology site visit to Kushiro Marsh, Japan

Most people don't realize how important willow trees are to our native bees in North America. They are a major pollen and nectar source early in the spring and they have more specialists than almost any other plant on the continent. Here is one of those specialists. This is Andrena nida. This bee feed it's young only the pollen from Willow.

Pulled from malaise trap sludge, this little male was found in Calvert County as part of a survey of the Hymenoptera of Warrior's Rest Park. Photoshopping by Thistle Droege and photograph by Brooke Alexander.

A small male bee from my memory County Maryland with distinctive yellow markings to either side of its clypeus. 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.

Pulled from malaise trap sludge, this little male was found in Calvert County as part of a survey of the Hymenoptera of Warrior's Rest Park. Photoshopping by Thistle Droege and photograph by Brooke Alexander.

A twinkly white spring Andrena found on blooming wild plum in my front yard.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

A twinkly white spring Andrena found on blooming wild plum in my front yard.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Badlands national Park, South Dakota, Pennington County

Badlands national Park, South Dakota, Pennington County

Badlands national Park, South Dakota, Pennington County

This tiny bee is a specialist on Willow Pollen, and was captured early this spring, unfortunately it is also completely coated in pollen and lint from the collecting process and did not go through our usual wash and blow dry procedure...thus the bad hair, but on the other hand it shows the characteristic light green tinge to the integument and generally captures the

This tiny bee is a specialist on Willow Pollen, and was captured early this spring, unfortunately it is also completely coated in pollen and lint from the collecting process and did not go through our usual wash and blow dry procedure...thus the bad hair, but on the other hand it shows the characteristic light green tinge to the integument and generally captures the

This tiny bee is a specialist on Willow Pollen, and was captured early this spring, unfortunately it is also completely coated in pollen and lint from the collecting process and did not go through our usual wash and blow dry procedure...thus the bad hair, but on the other hand it shows the characteristic light green tinge to the integument and generally captures the

Another of the large and sometimes confusing Melandrena species, collected by Nancy Adamson, Photograph by Colby Francoeur.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Another of the large and sometimes confusing Melandrena species, collected by Nancy Adamson, Photograph by Colby Francoeur.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, in Alger County Michigan has a specimen of Andrena nivalis. In this particular case Wayne Boo took the picture of this difficult to identify male.

The abdomen of a female Andrena nivalis. In that abdomen is a female stylopid which looks a bit like an odd head sticking out from underneath a tergite...she has been living in said A. nivalis for a long time...feeding on its innards...and, the stylopid has just given birth, (likely killing her in the process) to all her little babies. Nature: So cruel.

One of the relatively few fall Andrena bees (most occur on spring wildflowers). This dark species is associated with Goldenrods and Asters...but then again, that is the main nectar and pollen source of the Fall. They also have a tendency to show up in sandy areas and, indeed, this specimen is from the Carolina Sandhills collected by Heather Campbell.

From the sand pits of Anne Arundel County Maryland comes this small Andrena, Andrena nubecula. Photographed by Brooke Alexander.

One of the relatively few fall Andrena bees (most occur on spring wildflowers). This dark species is associated with Goldenrods and Asters...but then again, that is the main nectar and pollen source of the Fall. They also have a tendency to show up in sandy areas and, indeed, this specimen is from the Carolina Sandhills collected by Heather Campbell.

One of the relatively few fall Andrena bees (most occur on spring wildflowers). This dark species is associated with Goldenrods and Asters...but then again, that is the main nectar and pollen source of the Fall. They also have a tendency to show up in sandy areas and, indeed, this specimen is from the Carolina Sandhills collected by Heather Campbell.