Images

Triepeolus distinctus. This is the female of the male of the species that was posted a couple of weeks ago. Equally lovely. Both were found in an untended sand pit near my house. The key is untended as most sand pits not are filled with junk and the capped with clay and then planted with cool-season grasses and maybe some trees. The worst thing you could do.

Triepeolus distinctus. This is the female of the male of the species that was posted a couple of weeks ago. Equally lovely. Both were found in an untended sand pit near my house. The key is untended as most sand pits not are filled with junk and the capped with clay and then planted with cool-season grasses and maybe some trees. The worst thing you could do.

Red-eyed Bee. What a lovely palette this bee has of tomato saturated reds, on a shiny black integument with stripes of appressed off-white hairs. This bee was found when Mimi Jenkins and I went to my favorite sand pit to collect bees while our offices were shut down due to a security threat. Such a bonus.

Red-eyed Bee. What a lovely palette this bee has of saturated reds, burnt umber hairs, on a shiny black integument. Upholstery, anyone would want. This bee was found when Mimi Jenkins and I went to my favorite sand pit to collect bees while our offices were shut down due to a security threat. Such a bonus.

Here is the Common Blue Violet. State Agriculture Bulletins talk about "Controlling" this tough beauty. Native, rugged individualist, creator of ground cover with its own distinct specialist bee (Andrena viola) in its own genus. What's not to like here? Oh, that's right the, I forgot about the existence of lawn privilege ...

Here is the Common Blue Violet. State Agriculture Bulletins talk about "Controlling" this tough beauty. Native, rugged individualist, creator of ground cover with its own distinct specialist bee (Andrena viola) in its own genus. What's not to like here? Oh, that's right the, I forgot about the existence of lawn privilege ...

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.

An unknown species of Wasp from the Dominican Republic, collected on a trip I took a couple of years ago. Photo by Kamren Jefferson, 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.

Unknown Species of Wasp, Bryce Canyon National Park

Unknown Species of Wasp, Bryce Canyon National Park

Fun wasp from Kruger National Park. Note the expanded antennal ends (actually the other antennae snapped off). Most likely this is one of the pollen gathering wasps in Masserinae group. So, you thought only bees in the stinging category of insects gathered pollen. Nope. However, in North America, these wasps mostly, if not entirely show up only in the West.

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

A nest parasite of Melissodes, this is a relatively common species of an uncommon genus. Collected by Sabrie Breland in South Georgia in a lovely remnant of longleaf pine. Picture by Brooke Alexander.

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.

An unknown species of Triepeolus from the southern most part of Georgia. Not sure what species as it doesn't seem to key out very well to any particular species. Will have to send off to Molly Gee for ID. Collected by Dave Gruenewald who is studying the bees in southern pine plantations.

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.

Tiny feather from the head of a Whooping Crane. (Grus americana). Part of the captive flock at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.

A tiny little bee species from Australia pinned with a tiny little pin called a minutum to a foam block...from the Packer Lab's collection.

Another bee from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is Xylocopa caffra...the male. Note how it is all yellow? Well the female is almost all black with some blocks of yellow on the abdomen. In a number of Carpenter bees on a number of continents this pattern repeats...while in other Carpenter bees the male and female are both dark.

Another bee from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is Xylocopa caffra...the male. Note how it is all yellow? Well the female is almost all black with some blocks of yellow on the abdomen. In a number of Carpenter bees on a number of continents this pattern repeats...while in other Carpenter bees the male and female are both dark.