Images

Bahamas

A small Centris species taken by Sara Prado in Puerto Rico

A small Centris species take by Sara Prado in Puerto Rico

Dominican Republic, Centris species female,

Dominican Republic, Centris species female,

Dominican Republic, Centris species female,

The Striped Bark Scorpion. A lovely specimen found on the floor of FT Eyre in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. It is always good to have friends who send you such lovely presents in the mail. This is the only scorpion in the state and over the next few days I will post more shots of this baby. Check out the hypodermic at the end of the sting.

The Striped Bark Scorpion. A lovely specimen found on the floor of FT Eyre in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. It is always good to have friends who send you such lovely presents in the mail. This is the only scorpion in the state and over the next few days I will post more shots of this baby. Check out the hypodermic at the end of the sting.

Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis. Likes its feet wet, bumper crops of bees (particularly Hylaeus) and butterflies. No specialists in the bee arena, but adds pollen and nectar in wetlands. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

The taper looks of a nest parasite of Megachile. This is Coelioxys gilensis. Found in Yosemite National park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Global Change Biol. 2016).

Coelioxys hunteri, male, Jones County Georgia

This bee, Coelioxys immaculata, is an uncommon nest parasite of other bees. Almost by definition it must be less common since the young C. immaculata usurps a cell of a leaf-cutter bee, kills the host baby bee and eats its food before emerging the next year. Note the interesting pattern of lobes on its tail end. Mysterious.

Coelioxys moesta, female

Coelioxys moesta, male, Maryland, Garrett County, Collected by Department of Agriculture

Super rare. Only a few individuals of this species have been found, but, interestingly, this species has been found twice in Missouri, and once in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. This one was sent to me by Mike Arduser and collected in Clark County, Missouri. Note the lovely flair of hairs around the end of the abdomen....very distinctive.

Super rare. Only a few individuals of this species have been found, but, interestingly, this species has been found twice in Missouri, and once in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. This one was sent to me by Mike Arduser and collected in Clark County, Missouri. Note the lovely flair of hairs around the end of the abdomen....very distinctive.

Chlorion aerarium, Maryland, Cumberland, July 2012