Images

The Endangered Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis

One of the rarely seen leafcutting bees, this one is Megachile integrella from the sandhills of North Carolina collected by Heather Campbell and photoed by Amber Reese

One of the rarely seen leafcutting bees, this one is Megachile integrella from the sandhills of North Carolina collected by Heather Campbell and photoed by Amber Reese

Montgomery County Maryland, Collected by Richard Orr

A set of male and female Macropis ciliata from NH, collected by Michael Veit on transmission lines...part of a David Wagner study of bees and transmission. This bee is special. Not as common as it once was and a specialist on Lysimachia natives. These plants produce oils that the Macropis add to their pollen balls for their babies. No Lysimachia...no Macropis.

Macropis ciliata - Possibly the first record for this species in about 100 years. This genus has grown very uncommon and I finally found a specimen along a rocky powerline in Washington County in a small patch of whorled loosestrife a few days ago.

A set of male and female Macropis ciliata from NH, collected by Michael Veit on transmission lines...part of a David Wagner study of bees and transmission. This bee is special. Not as common as it once was and a specialist on Lysimachia natives. These plants produce oils that the Macropis add to their pollen balls for their babies. No Lysimachia...no Macropis.

A set of male and female Macropis ciliata from NH, collected by Michael Veit on transmission lines...part of a David Wagner study of bees and transmission. This bee is special. Not as common as it once was and a specialist on Lysimachia natives. These plants produce oils that the Macropis add to their pollen balls for their babies. No Lysimachia...no Macropis.

Another Macropis from transmission lines from NH and MA. This species (M. nuda) is also a Lysimachia specialist and the female's bright white pollen carrying hairs and likely the hairs under the abdomen soak up oils which are used by the female to add to pollen to create the food for their young. Collected by Michael Veit and part of a study run by David Wagner.

Another Macropis from transmission lines from NH and MA. This species (M. nuda) is also a Lysimachia specialist and the female's bright white pollen carrying hairs and likely the hairs under the abdomen soak up oils which are used by the female to add to pollen to create the food for their young. Collected by Michael Veit and part of a study run by David Wagner.

Another Macropis from transmission lines from NH and MA. This species (M. nuda) is also a Lysimachia specialist and the female's bright white pollen carrying hairs and likely the hairs under the abdomen soak up oils which are used by the female to add to pollen to create the food for their young. Collected by Michael Veit and part of a study run by David Wagner.

Another Macropis from transmission lines from NH and MA. This species (M. nuda) is also a Lysimachia specialist and the female's bright white pollen carrying hairs and likely the hairs under the abdomen soak up oils which are used by the female to add to pollen to create the food for their young. Collected by Michael Veit and part of a study run by David Wagner.

Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park, Apache County

Petrified Forrest National Monument = Rich in bees and bee species. In this case the semi cute Mactrotera latior. Many the these tiny Macrotera are plant specialists garnering pollen from only a few plant species. Sierra Willams took the pictures and Elizabeth Garcia did the photoshopping.

Petrified Forrest National Monument = Rich in bees and bee species. In this case the semi cute Mactrotera latior. Many the these tiny Macrotera are plant specialists garnering pollen from only a few plant species. Sierra Willams took the pictures and Elizabeth Garcia did the photoshopping.

Late breaking new...this was identified by Don Harvey as Macrotera portalis (formerly in Perdita...now its own genus)Bee with Big Head. This is a Perdita...a male collected in Cochise County Arizona by Tim McMahon. Why such a big head. Unclear because sometimes in the same species have small heads.

Late breaking new...this was identified by Don Harvey as Macrotera portalis (formerly in Perdita...now its own genus)Bee with Big Head. This is a Perdita...a male collected in Cochise County Arizona by Tim McMahon. Why such a big head. Unclear because sometimes in the same species have small heads.

An obscure bee of the desert, Martinapis luteicornis only is active early in the morning just as the sky begins to lighten. At least one paper indicates that they are specialists on Psorothamnus scoparius or the Broom Dalea.

I am spacing at the moment as to who lent me these species, but hopefully can track that down and correct the record. Such a lovely odd bee. It forages a dawn in the deserts of the Southwest, is big, lush and lovely. One of only 3 species. This one caught in Wilcox, AZ...probably at the Bee Course. Photographed by Dejen Mengis.

I am spacing at the moment as to who lent me these species, but hopefully can track that down and correct the record. Such a lovely odd bee. It forages a dawn in the deserts of the Southwest, is big, lush and lovely. One of only 3 species. This one caught in Wilcox, AZ...probably at the Bee Course. Photographed by Dejen Mengis.

Indian Cucumber Root, Medeola virginiana. I have eaten its root ...and it does taste like cucumber....you need a lot of them though, tiny. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.