Images

The all black Leaf-Cutter, Megachile xylocopoides, this one found in Florida. The species is found in the East and seems to be gradually invading its way to the North...Picture by Amber Reese and photoshopping by Dejen Mengis.

Probably Megachile pugnata, found on the desert experiment range in Utah.

Here we have the nest parasite of one of Puerto Rico's Centris bees. Its lays its eggs in the nests of the host, kills the hosts egg or young and eats the stores. Taxonomically its not clear what this species is but it appears to be close to (aff. = affiliated with) M. rufipes. Perhaps you, dear reader, will figure that out.

The foot of the American Mink: Neovison vison. A lovely male freshly killed where a stream crosses the road in the progenitor of all suburbs: Bowie, Maryland. All sorts of things exist in these seeming wastelands.

This is a 10X detail of the wing of Mirina fenzeli, and odd moth from China. It is a plainish white moth but has a super dark spot (one edge is illustrated here) which sucks in almost all light (and therefore is hard to photograph) the scales are up right rather than flattened and the surround white scales are very dissected and spikey...cool.

From Acadia National Park, comes a nest parasites of Megachilidae. Picture taken by Haegan Ahmed and Photoshop 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.

Bee Balm. Good for a spicy summer drink and hummingbird and bee forage the rest of the time. Specimen and photograph by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Funaria hygrometrica, identified by Charlie Davis, found in crack in stone deck of laboratory building; Beltsville, Maryland

Unknown species of moth collected during moth week in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

The Venus Comb Murex, Murex pecten. From the Philiipines in this case. This is a start of a fun exploration of some of the National Collections at the Smithsonian....Amanda Robinson brought this down for a photograph and Joe Milone did the photoshoping. Stacked this one using a 100mm macro lens.

Adult female, Harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica, a common pest of brassicas, these were raised by the Weber USDA lab at Beltsville, Maryland

The luscious greenescent caterpillar of the brown drab northern pearly eye butterfly. check out the 6 little eyes located down near the mouth/mandibles, I feel rather "Hello Kitty" when looking this one in the faceCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Photographer: Sam Droege, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

The sad Notoxaea...the only member in its genus. It lacks a sting and perhaps is a mimic of the many potent Centris bee species. You will have to go south of the Amazonian basin to find this baby. Collected by Laurence Packer's York University adventurers.

This is picture 7 from a 12 picture invited series by Matt Buffington (matt.buffington@usda.gov) at the USDA Parastitic Hymentoptera group using specimens from the U.S. Natural History Museum Smithsonian.

Looking rather Roman | Phoenician is the humble Onthophahus hecate Scarab Beetle of unknown species from Charles County Maryland. The photograph is taken by Betsy Bangert and Mike Burchett a pair of bug heads if there ever was one.

Frederick County Maryland, Collected by Richard Orr

Euglossa....the orchid bees, swanky glintlings of the New World tropical forests. The males gather fragrances produced by orchids who are then pollinated by the infatuations of these males.

Another orchid bee in the genus Euglossa from Guyana. At present no species name, but perhaps some day I will have time to work with David Roubik on the many species we collected on a Smithsonian expedition into the interior jungles. This is a male, collected using some of the orchid floral scents to attract them that they use in courtship rituals.

Lovely in its hieroglyphic eyes and metallic chrome plating, this is a tiny little flower fly, just one of many insect models designed without us in mind. That said, it would make a lovely car design. Captured at a stream crossing in Beltsville, Maryland.

Close-up. Osage orange fruit, Maryland

One has to admit, this is a damn awesome bee. I love these colors. The specimen came from the Adirondack Mountains of New York during their BioBlitz 2 years ago. Evocative. 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.