Images

Andrena barbara, female

Andrena barbara, female

Andrena barbara, male

Andrena bisalicis, female, Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, SC, Chesterfield County

For some reason I really like the lighting on the face of this specimen... eerie, the bee contemplating the decline of its own kind, that sort of thing. But I depart...Here is Andrena bradleyi, the Long-faced Mining Bee, a vaccinium (blueberry) specialist. If you hang out around blueberries then you might find this bee...the flowering plants that is.

A dark spring Andrena mining bee seen throughout the East in woodlands and the edge of woodlands foraging on the blooms of trees and the flowers that appear in early spring within rich deciduous woods. Andrena carlini is often the most common Andrena. One of the few bees in this large taxonomic group with dark pollen collecting hairs.

A male Andrena carlini, partially covered in Meloidae beetle triungula. An example of hypermetamorphosis in a parasitic beetle. Collected by Jane Whitaker in West Virginia in 2013

Jackson County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park

An uncommon spring bee, this is Andrena confederata. This bee, occurs in low numbers throughout the region. There are relatively few records, but my impression is that it likely occurs regularly in the right situations. What those situations are and what the habitats they prefer might be, is unclear. Nothing new, so much to learn about bees.

Go to the woods in the Eastern United States, find a blooming Rhododendron, look for this bee, it specializes Rhodos and Azalea pollen for its babies. Collected in Giles County (probably on a Rhododendron) by Barbara Abraham's students at Mountain Lake Biological Station.

Go to the woods in the Eastern United States, find a blooming Rhododendron, look for this bee, it specializes Rhodos and Azalea pollen for its babies. Collected in Giles County (probably on a Rhododendron) by Barbara Abraham's students at Mountain Lake Biological Station.

Andrena virginiana, male, Maryland, Garrett County, July 2012

Andrena virginiana, female, Maryland Garrett County, July 2012

Ah, if angels were bees this would be one. However, if you were a Colletes bee you would not think so since the Angel Bee would invade your home, lay an egg, leave and later the Angel Bee baby would kill your baby and eat all your food. So life goes.

An ant, which species of ant, I don't know, it was collected a few days ago in Pomonkey Maryland at a Naval radar installation where we are helping survey their bees.

Unknown species of ant, Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming,

Antennaria are underappreciated. ... They are subtly and softly sculptural in their hairiness and seem to thrive in the poor exposed soils of roadcuts and overgrazed areas that haven't been completely taken over by weeds. This Plaintain-leaved Everlasting. Collected by and picture taken by Helen Lowe Metzman in Howard County, Maryland.

Another lovely Buprestid from Kruger National Park in South Africa. Also another beetle found feeding on blooming trees in the park by project leaders Jonathan Mawdsley and James Harrison.

Beetles from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is the start of a series of pictures of insects that come to the flowers in Kruger. This is a project led by James Harrison from S.A. and Jonathan Mawdsley from the U.S. I was lucky enough to come along and do some bee collecting. Interesting system.

Found in a Bombus atratus nest in Bogata, Colunbia by Francisco Posada

Here is a series of male and female Anthidiellum ehrhorni. these are small, relatively cute in the scheme of things, bees that dwell in the drylands of Southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. They are fast flying and remind me of flying peas for some reason. Though I can't recall any peas that look like A. ehrhorni.