Images

New Vermont Species Record. This little tiny bee is a specialist on a plant that most people pull out of their gardens, Physalis, or Ground Cherry, this plant has a number of specialists associated with it and, we should think about it as something to plant in our gardens!

Another Reason that Weeds Have Value: In this case the weed is Physalis, tomitillos or ground cherries. Native to North America they are usually considered weeds unless they are one of the edible varieties, yet, they host several native bees who can only live on Physalis pollen, moving this weed in my mind a bit more to the good side of the ledger book.

A lovely male Perdita from Fort Matanzas National Monument along the Atlantic Coast of Florida. Something so tiny that most would not call it a bee, but so very well designed in its geometries and colors. Picture by Sierra Williams, shopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

Little tiny bees from the Petrified Forest National Monument. Perdita are often, if not always, plant specialists and there are mannnnnnnnyyyyy of them, all small and often with enough quirks that putting a name on them can be difficult in the deserts of the Southwest.

Little tiny bees from the Petrified Forest National Monument. Perdita are often, if not always, plant specialists and there are mannnnnnnnyyyyy of them, all small and often with enough quirks that putting a name on them can be difficult in the deserts of the Southwest.

A tiny sand loving Perdita from Maryland

A tiny sand loving Perdita from Maryland

A tiny sand loving Perdita from Maryland

Perdita phymatae, Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park, Apache County

Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, Apache County

Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, Apache County

Small, small, and a lover of sand dunes. Restricted to Sand Dune and Deep Sand habitats and thus uncommonly found and often restricted to protected areas. This one from Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. Of course you noticed that it had 13 antennal segments and extensive yellow on its face making it a male.

Perdita bishoppi, Florida, Fort Matanzas National Monument, male

Perdita latior, male, Arizona Petrified Forest National Park

A wee 2mm Perilampid from Hart-Miller Island collected by Gene Scarpulla and awaiting final determination.

Bittacomorpha clavipes - Here is a 10x shot of this lovely flies face, collected in my back yard in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Seems to have a very odd tongue.

I will have to look up the location back at the lab, but it came from one of the eastern forest service glycol traps...one of the glowworm species

Phenacolletes mimus, Australian Shorthair, specimen collected by Laurence Packer in AustraliaIn the dry, sparsely populated portions of Western Australia one can find the Australian Shorthair. While it is a pollen collecting bee, it has very short hairs, making it similar to some of the short, thick bodied waspy relatives of bees.

Phenacolletes mimus, Australian Shorthair, specimen collected by Laurence Packer in AustraliaIn the dry, sparsely populated portions of Western Australia one can find the Australian Shorthair. While it is a pollen collecting bee, it has very short hairs, making it similar to some of the short, thick bodied waspy relatives of bees.

Another dragon fulgorid from the Smithsonian collection. All of these are old and covered with dust and lint from their years traveling to the museum, still a spectacular creature. 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.

In real life this huge fulgorid (Phrictus diadema)is even more spectacular, this is an old to ancient specimen at the Smithsonian that I shot to test out my photography set up ...still rather magnificently scary looking, even if rather dirty and faded.