Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Images

USGS Bee Lab at the Eastern Ecological Science Center images.

Filter Total Items: 4493
close up of image
Agapostemon nasutus, m, right, Bagaces, Costa Rica
Agapostemon nasutus, m, right, Bagaces, Costa Rica
Agapostemon nasutus, m, right, Bagaces, Costa Rica

Gliding in from Costa Rica comes a moderalely large, moderately green bee. An Agapostemon nasutus. There are a lot of the these bright green bees out there...Not just in C.R. but throughout the Americas. Beautiful, and once you start paying attention, quite common. But are there any songs written about them? No. Poems? Zero. Green Bee Secret Societies?

Gliding in from Costa Rica comes a moderalely large, moderately green bee. An Agapostemon nasutus. There are a lot of the these bright green bees out there...Not just in C.R. but throughout the Americas. Beautiful, and once you start paying attention, quite common. But are there any songs written about them? No. Poems? Zero. Green Bee Secret Societies?

close up of image
Agapostemon sericeus, M, back, Pr. Georges Co., Maryland
Agapostemon sericeus, M, back, Pr. Georges Co., Maryland
Agapostemon sericeus, M, back, Pr. Georges Co., Maryland

Male Agapostemon's almost all have this same pattern, Metallicy green on the head and thorax and then striped yellow and black on the abdomen. Females uniformly don't have yellow anywhere. Why is good question as this male yellowness syndrome runs throughout the bee kingdom, cutting across families.

Male Agapostemon's almost all have this same pattern, Metallicy green on the head and thorax and then striped yellow and black on the abdomen. Females uniformly don't have yellow anywhere. Why is good question as this male yellowness syndrome runs throughout the bee kingdom, cutting across families.

close up of image
Agapostemon species, U, side, Dominican Republic
Agapostemon species, U, side, Dominican Republic
Agapostemon species, U, side, Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic, The only described all black Agapostemon in the Caribbean is from Cuba. (A. obscuratus). Collected in November of 2012. This is either A. obscuratus and a new record for Hispaniola or a new species.

Dominican Republic, The only described all black Agapostemon in the Caribbean is from Cuba. (A. obscuratus). Collected in November of 2012. This is either A. obscuratus and a new record for Hispaniola or a new species.

close up of image
Agapostemon splendens, f, head, anne arundel county, md
Agapostemon splendens, f, head, anne arundel county, md
Agapostemon splendens, f, head, anne arundel county, md

Another bee associated with deep sandy soils. This one also found in a study sand pit reclamation in Anne Arundel County in Maryland. Amazing to think that such metallic green bees are all around us having done their business for millions of years.

Another bee associated with deep sandy soils. This one also found in a study sand pit reclamation in Anne Arundel County in Maryland. Amazing to think that such metallic green bees are all around us having done their business for millions of years.

close up of image
Agapostemon texanus.angelicus, gynandromorph, NM, Hidalgo co, back
Agapostemon texanus.angelicus, gynandromorph, NM, Hidalgo co, back
Agapostemon texanus.angelicus, gynandromorph, NM, Hidalgo co, back

Hermaphrodite! (aka a gynandromorph) This Agapostemon texanus or angelicus (species can't be determined here) is part male and part female. This happens in I think all animals and I have seen about 5 of these after looking at about 400,000 bee specimens. This one was brought in by Tim McMahon after he collected it in Arizona.

Hermaphrodite! (aka a gynandromorph) This Agapostemon texanus or angelicus (species can't be determined here) is part male and part female. This happens in I think all animals and I have seen about 5 of these after looking at about 400,000 bee specimens. This one was brought in by Tim McMahon after he collected it in Arizona.

close up of image
Agapostemon virescens, f, right side, Caroline CO. MD
Agapostemon virescens, f, right side, Caroline CO. MD
Agapostemon virescens, f, right side, Caroline CO. MD

More Green Bees. This is a common one, one of the commonest summer bees in the East. Agapostemon virescens. The females have a black abdomen unlike the other female Agapostemons in the East which are bright green all round. This one was caught in Caroline County in Maryland. Picture by Amanda Robinson.

More Green Bees. This is a common one, one of the commonest summer bees in the East. Agapostemon virescens. The females have a black abdomen unlike the other female Agapostemons in the East which are bright green all round. This one was caught in Caroline County in Maryland. Picture by Amanda Robinson.

close up of image
Agapostemon virescens, f, thorax, Caroline Co. MD
Agapostemon virescens, f, thorax, Caroline Co. MD
Agapostemon virescens, f, thorax, Caroline Co. MD

More Green Bees. This is a common one, one of the commonest summer bees in the East. Agapostemon virescens. The females have a black abdomen unlike the other female Agapostemons in the East which are bright green all round. This one was caught in Caroline County in Maryland. Picture by Amanda Robinson.

More Green Bees. This is a common one, one of the commonest summer bees in the East. Agapostemon virescens. The females have a black abdomen unlike the other female Agapostemons in the East which are bright green all round. This one was caught in Caroline County in Maryland. Picture by Amanda Robinson.

close up of image
Agapostemon-splendens,-side
Agapostemon-splendens,-side
Agapostemon-splendens,-side

Agapostemon splendens, female, Florida, October 2011, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve

close up of image
Agastache foeniculum, Anise Hyssop, GFG, Howard County, Md
Agastache foeniculum, Anise Hyssop, GFG, Howard County, Md
Agastache foeniculum, Anise Hyssop, GFG, Howard County, Md

Agastache species make some of the best bee attracting plants. Here is Agastache foeniculum. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman. 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.

Agastache species make some of the best bee attracting plants. Here is Agastache foeniculum. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman. 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.

close up of image
aglaoapis tridentata, f, back
aglaoapis tridentata, f, back
aglaoapis tridentata, f, back

Aglaoapis tridentata, Spined Goth, specimen collected by Heinrich Friese in AustriaThere are but three species of Goths, oddly scattered across the northern Old World with the Spined Goth occurring across the temperate regions, one in India, and one way down in South Africa.

Aglaoapis tridentata, Spined Goth, specimen collected by Heinrich Friese in AustriaThere are but three species of Goths, oddly scattered across the northern Old World with the Spined Goth occurring across the temperate regions, one in India, and one way down in South Africa.

close up of image
aglaoapis tridentata, f,face2
aglaoapis tridentata, f,face2
aglaoapis tridentata, f,face2

Aglaoapis tridentata, Spined Goth, specimen collected by Heinrich Friese in AustriaThere are but three species of Goths, oddly scattered across the northern Old World with the Spined Goth occurring across the temperate regions, one in India, and one way down in South Africa.

Aglaoapis tridentata, Spined Goth, specimen collected by Heinrich Friese in AustriaThere are but three species of Goths, oddly scattered across the northern Old World with the Spined Goth occurring across the temperate regions, one in India, and one way down in South Africa.

close up of image
aglaoapis tridentata, f,face
aglaoapis tridentata, f,face
aglaoapis tridentata, f,face

Aglaoapis tridentata, Spined Goth, specimen collected by Heinrich Friese in AustriaThere are but three species of Goths, oddly scattered across the northern Old World with the Spined Goth occurring across the temperate regions, one in India, and one way down in South Africa.

Aglaoapis tridentata, Spined Goth, specimen collected by Heinrich Friese in AustriaThere are but three species of Goths, oddly scattered across the northern Old World with the Spined Goth occurring across the temperate regions, one in India, and one way down in South Africa.

close up of image
Agrimonia parviflora, Many-flowered Agrimony, Howard County, MD
Agrimonia parviflora, Many-flowered Agrimony, Howard County, MD
Agrimonia parviflora, Many-flowered Agrimony, Howard County, MD

Just one section of Swamp Agrimony (Agrimonia parviflora). Picture and specimen from Howard County, Maryland by Helen Lowe Metzman.

close up of image
Allium tricoccum 2, Ramps, flower, GFG, Howard County, Md, Helen Lowe Metzman
Allium tricoccum 2, Ramps, flower, GFG, Howard County, Md, Helen Lowe Metzman
Allium tricoccum 2, Ramps, flower, GFG, Howard County, Md, Helen Lowe Metzman

Ramps. Allium tricoccum. Things in the onion group can be good pollen sources for bees. Ramps are no exception. Specimen and photo by Helen Lowe Metzman.

close up of image
Alocandrena porteri, f, side, peru
Alocandrena porteri, f, side, peru
Alocandrena porteri, f, side, peru

A pollinator of wild relatives of tomatoes, this species will alight upon and then vibrate tomato flowers using its wing muscles. These plants have cleverly hidden their pollen in tubular anthers that are primarily released when buzzed by bees at a certain frequency.

A pollinator of wild relatives of tomatoes, this species will alight upon and then vibrate tomato flowers using its wing muscles. These plants have cleverly hidden their pollen in tubular anthers that are primarily released when buzzed by bees at a certain frequency.

close up of image
Amazonite
Amazonite
Amazonite

Today - Amazonite up close. So interesting to go from photographing the complexity of carbon based insect life to the complexity of minerals. One earth, all connected, such glory that cannot be recreated by men.

Today - Amazonite up close. So interesting to go from photographing the complexity of carbon based insect life to the complexity of minerals. One earth, all connected, such glory that cannot be recreated by men.

close up of image
Amblycorypha oblongifolia,-face
Amblycorypha oblongifolia,-face
Amblycorypha oblongifolia,-face

Amblycorypha oblongifolia, Oblong-winged katydid, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, July 2012

close up of image
Amblycorypha oblongifolia,-side
Amblycorypha oblongifolia,-side
Amblycorypha oblongifolia,-side

Amblycorypha oblongifolia, Oblong-winged katydid, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, July 2012

close up of image
amegilla, m, australia, back
amegilla, m, australia, back
amegilla, m, australia, back

Amegilla....one of a large group of large Old World bees that blend and fracture colors in wonderful ways. In this case this male Amegilla from Australia from the Laurence Packer Lab bee slots in a whole series of subtly iridescent green hairs amidst a mix of white and black, quite nice and surely a useful design for a rug or tapestry of some sort.

Amegilla....one of a large group of large Old World bees that blend and fracture colors in wonderful ways. In this case this male Amegilla from Australia from the Laurence Packer Lab bee slots in a whole series of subtly iridescent green hairs amidst a mix of white and black, quite nice and surely a useful design for a rug or tapestry of some sort.

Was this page helpful?