Images

Redbud leaves, Cercis canadensis, fresh spring leaves at their births, at the end of the cycle, no leaf is untouched by another organisim, be it insect, arthropod, virus, fungus, or bacteria and eventually drops. A particularly lovely member of the pea family. Pictures and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

A nice fluffy male Centris attripes from Central Texas collected during a family reunion. Centris are large bumble bee sized bees and as you move into desert and tropical area in the Americas the number of bumble bees decline and the number of often oil using Centris species and the equally large Carpenter bees increase.

Just one of many kinds of bees for which we know little to nothing. Beautiful wings though! This specimen comes from Brazil and was found in Laurence Packer's lab 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.

Just one of many kinds of bees for which we know little to nothing. Beautiful wings though! This specimen comes from Brazil and was found in Laurence Packer's lab 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.

Found by Brooke Alexander after it invaded our Lab in Beltsville, Maryland and photographed by Brooke Alexander

Chamaesyce maculata, Spotted Spurge, August 2012, Beltsville, Maryland

White turtlehead. Chelone glabra. A good bumble bee plant and host for the Maryland State Butterfly, the Baltimore Checkerspot. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman. Howard County, Maryland.

White turtlehead. Chelone glabra. A good bumble bee plant and host for the Maryland State Butterfly, the Baltimore Checkerspot. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman. Howard County, Maryland.

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The very small and skinny, beetle hole nesting, Chelostoma philadelphi. A specialist on Philadelphus (mock orange). This species is most commonly seen on the non native European Mock Orange that was widely planted in the olden days.

Chelostoma philadelphi, Towson, Maryland

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

A new species for Vermont, this invasive bee is a specialist on Campanula flowers, collected by Anna Beauchemin, Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 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

A new species for Vermont, this invasive bee is a specialist on Campanula flowers, collected by Anna Beauchemin, Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 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

A series of pictures of a male and female species that loves Bellflowers (Campanula). Meaning that the female of this species provisions its nest (note: males never help in all Hymenoptera) with the pollen of this plant.

A new species for Vermont, this invasive bee is a specialist on Campanula flowers, collected by Anna Beauchemin, Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 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

Chelostoma rapunculi. Invader from Europe. Mostly occurring in the Canada/U.S. border and loves introduced bellworts. We have other pictures of this species, but here is an undercarriage view of the abdomen with all the male options in view. Those crazy insects have come up with a completely different mating system and creates lots of complexity in the males.

Am playing around with a 10X rig at home right now and aiming at some common species. Here is a seed pod of lamb's quarters. The round objects may or may not be what they call glandular hairs. This is unclear to me.