Images

A nest parasite, this time a male. Coelioxys octodentata is a counterpart to the more commonly found C. sayi. I associate this species with drier and perhaps sandier locations, perhaps as the nest parasite of things like Megachile brevis. Note the characteristic teeth sticking out of the rear of this bee.

White Oak Borer (Goes tigrinus) - larvae live in living white and related oaks - , but which one? Where is a Coleopterist when you need one... Collected by Bob Trumbule, fab entomologist for the state of Maryland in our building (likely because there elements of dead wood present).

White Oak Borer (Goes tigrinus) - larvae live in living white and related oaks - , but which one? Where is a Coleopterist when you need one... Collected by Bob Trumbule, fab entomologist for the state of Maryland in our building (likely because there elements of dead wood present).

Tiny, Tiny, 10x shot of Ceratina arizonensis from the Zuma Canyon in the Santa Monica National Recreation Area in coastal California. Almost all Ceratina have that white stripe (or some greater embellishment thereof) on their face and are relatively hairless, perhaps because of their lifestyle in the pith of plant stems or...perhaps not.

Ceratina buscki a very small shiny green species from Panama as collected by Sandra Rehan as part of her studies. Ceratina species are almost always stem nesters in the soft pith of brambles and other small woody plants and can be one of the most common bees in some areas.

More central american Ceratina shots...here is the male of C. buscki shown earlier. Specimen collected by Sandra Rehan. 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.

Ceratina cockerelli, male

GIANT Ceratina from Puntarenas, Costa Rica, biggest I have ever seen. Collected by Valerie Peters. Check out the flange on the lower cheek of the side shot. 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.

A male Ceratina species from Bee Gardens in San Francisco that are surveyed for bees by Jaime Palawek. This crisp litte bee is less than the size of a grain of rice (white, long grain) and glitters with smooth metallic blueish green colors. Glinty enough to be problematic when photographing.

GIANT Ceratina from Puntarenas, Costa Rica, biggest I have ever seen. Collected by Valerie Peters. Check out the flange on the lower cheek of the side shot. 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.

Yet more Ceratina pictures, diversity demands it. This series is from specimens collected in Panama by Sandra Rehan (UNH) as part of her mission to know everything there is to know about Ceratinas.

Ceratina near dentipes, female, Hawaii, Oahu, March 2012

Ceratina smaragdula, male, Hawaii, Oahu, March 2012

A bee of the early morning. Matrinal. Restricted to the southeastern United States deep sand spots where it feeds only in the early morning hours. Very uncommonly recorded now but this one was collected by Sabrie Breland in residual burned longleaf pine lands of Southeastern Georgia.

Collected by one "E.P. Reed" probably about 100 years ago in Central Chile this is from an orphaned collection of bees from the Smithsonian. While in the process of returning we are taking a few pictures of some of the more interesting bees. This is Caupolicana fulvicollis.

Collected by one "E.P. Reed" probably about 100 years ago in Central Chile this is from an orphaned collection of bees from the Smithsonian. While in the process of returning we are taking a few pictures of some of the more interesting bees. This is Caupolicana fulvicollis.

Second in a Series. Centris...the tropical western hemisphere's answer to the Bumblebee. Bumblebees are absent from the Caribbean but bees of the genus Centris are of the same size and shape and fill the same floral niche muscling their way into large tropical flowers.

Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Collected by Dan Kjar

A lovely Centris from Puerto Rico, collected by Sara Prado

Centris haemorrhoidalis - The red-butted bee of Puerto Rico. Another lovely bee from the tropics, sort of a fancy bumble bee in a way. Collected by queen bee of Puerto Rico, Sara Prado. Pictures by Brooke Alexander.

Centris haemorrhoidalis - The red-butted bee of Puerto Rico. Another lovely bee from the tropics, sort of a fancy bumble bee in a way. Collected by queen bee of Puerto Rico, Sara Prado. Pictures by Brooke Alexander.