Images

A late season Nomada, this is Nomada placida. It (like all Nomada) is a nest parasite of something. But what? Given its dates of occurrence it may be some of the late season Andrena. Nomada in the fall are always rare and of interest ....fyi. Collected on Warrior Mountain in Maryland.

Yet more uncommon Nomada from Southern Minnesota. This one, Nomada rubicunda, is one that I associate with sandy areas and is, I believe, and Agapostemon nest parasite...likely A. splendens, only a few records in Maryland, but can be relatively common in sandhill country.

Yet more uncommon Nomada from Southern Minnesota. This one, Nomada rubicunda, is one that I associate with sandy areas and is, I believe, and Agapostemon nest parasite...likely A. splendens, only a few records in Maryland, but can be relatively common in sandhill country.

What a lovely bee. This is Nomada seneciophila. A bee that had not been seen for over 20 years until I netted a set on the Pomonkey DOD base in Charles County Maryland. The host for this rare bee is unknown, but now I think I know what it is because at that same site was Andrena gardineri another rare bee and a specialist on ragwort ...

Here is the male of the very rare, Nomada seneciophila, found for the first time in Maryland, Charles County. As is often the case the males look quite different from the females. This is one of a handful of species that have modified antennae segments, with small spines, sculpting and elongations compared to other groups of Nomada.

Long Horn. The males of all the genera within the Eucerini clan (at least all the ones I can think of) have very long antennae. These are fast flying lovers of perennials. This particular one (Melissodes trinodis) favors things in the sunflower arena, big, open, tall flowers.

Melitoma taurea....a bindweed/morning glory specialist. This species seems to find the invasive non-native bindweeds perfectly acceptable and thus you can find it nesting right in the middle of cities as well in natural areas. Notable for the length of its tongue which, even when folded up extends to the abdomen.

Cranberry Specialist. This very uncommon bog loving species was collected in the Sandhills of North Carolina where it was captured by Heather Campbell and feeds its babies the pollen from wild cranberries and its relatives. You can even see some of the pollen on the top of its head and on its legs.

Cranberry Specialist. This very uncommon bog loving species was collected in the Sandhills of North Carolina where it was captured by Heather Campbell and feeds its babies the pollen from wild cranberries and its relatives. You can even see some of the pollen on the top of its head and on its legs.

Cranberry lover from Georgia. This is a classic example of a bee whose range is restricted by the pollen it needs to feed its young.

Cranberry lover from Georgia. This is a classic example of a bee whose range is restricted by the pollen it needs to feed its young.

A cranberry specialist. This bee is one of the few bees that specializes on bogs and bog plants and is found in scattered locations from Southern New England along the coastal plane to the Gulf Coast. This specimen was collected by Heather Campbell in the sandhills of North Carolina. Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

Melitta haemorrhoidalis, Red-butted Campanula Lover, specimen collected by R.C.L. Perkins in Wotton-under-Edge, EnglandMelitta is the Greek word for bee, and the name of the favorite activity indulged in by the authors "“ melittology "“ is based upon this. Melitta bees are specialists.

There are 6 families of bees in North America. The bee here Melitta melittoides is member of Melittidae. Melittidae has only 2 genera of bees in the East. Most of them are highly specialized. Our friend here is a Lyonia (maleberry) specialist. In the face shot of the female...check out the size of those mandibles.

Looks just like a "bee" does it not? Not super sexy, pretty plain really. But so very interesting. This is Melitta melittoides. A very uncommon bee. Uncommon because it only feeds its babies the pollen from Lyonia (Fetterbush, Staggerbush if you will).

Looks just like a "bee" does it not? Not super sexy, pretty plain really. But so very interesting. This is Melitta melittoides. A very uncommon bee. Uncommon because it only feeds its babies the pollen from Lyonia (Fetterbush, Staggerbush if you will).

Hey now here is a common bee from Kruger National Park, Meliturgula scriptifrons. A smallish brown bee that are commonly caught in bowl traps. Part of the small number of genera in Andrenidae. Photo by Kelly Graninger.

Swamp sparrow, Close up of Neck Feathers, Washington D.C., Fall or spring 2012, died striking building downtown, collected by lightsoutdc with permits

Swamp Sparrow, Melospiza georgiana foot from specimen that struck a building in Washington D.C. during migration, collected with permits by LightsOutDC

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

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