Images

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

This ubiquitous North American species can be found gathering mud for its nest almost anywhere. I have collected it in urban areas to remote villages in the center of Guyana. This specimen is from Key Biscayne National Park in Florida and was arrayed without a pin by Brooke in our lab and then photgraphed on a piece of glass by Ben

The flower of the Starvine. Schisandra glabra. Photograph by Helen Lowe Metzman.

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Scolia dubia, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Tachytes species, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Tarsalia persica, Persian Asymmetric bee, collected in Iran. 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.

Tarsalia persica, Persian Asymmetric bee, collected in Iran. 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.

One of two beetles pictured from a collection of UV trap material from Little St. Simons Island on Coastal Georgia this past month. Potentially the start of a new monitoring program. I pulled these two out to take pictures simply because they were cool looking. Doug Yanega identified them as Tenebrionid beetles.

One of two beetles pictured from a collection of UV trap material from Little St. Simons Island on Coastal Georgia this past month. Potentially the start of a new monitoring program. I pulled these two out to take pictures simply because they were cool looking. Doug Yanega identified them as Tenbrionide. Collected by Eric who is a naturalist on the Island.

The wee head of a winged termite found near the lab hear in Maryland. Taken with our 10X microscope lens.

Spectacular in its glittering blue hairs, this humpbacked bee is another nest parasite, in this case it lays its eggs in the nests of Blue-banded bees (Amegilla). This particular baby was collected in the Philippines by C.F. Baker in the early part of the last century.

Another Thyreus...this one white and of unknown species and from Ethiopia. You can see from frazzled ends of the wings this female was relatively old. Like all Thyreus it breaks open the nests of Amegilla and perhaps other related species such as Anthophora.

Another view of the lovely golden tortoise beetle. Upper Marlboro, Maryland. 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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Upper Marlboro, MD, May 2012This species has a common name:Dimorphic Tosale Mothbut it also has been named by the Doug InkleyThe George Washington Moth

Who doestn't love a nicely striped bee? Truchusa dorsalis on display here with stripes made on Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia and later picked up by the Virginia Heritage Group in their surveys. This is a new state record, somewhat bridging records in the Pine Barrens of NJ and those of the North Carolina.

Kruger National Park presents a native South African: Xylocopa lugubris. This carpenter bee was caught cruising around the park while along on Jonathan Mawdsley and James Harrison's expedition. Lots of fun avoiding poisonous snakes, lions, and leopards and other big things. Photo by Erick Hernandez.

Kruger National Park presents a native South African: Xylocopa lugubris. This carpenter bee was caught cruising around the park while along on Jonathan Mawdsley and James Harrison's expedition. Lots of fun avoiding poisonous snakes, lions, and leopards and other big things. Photo by Erick Hernandez.

Kruger National Park presents a native South African: Xylocopa lugubris. This carpenter bee was caught cruising around the park while along on Jonathan Mawdsley and James Harrison's expedition. Lots of fun avoiding poisonous snakes, lions, and leopards and other big things. Photo by Erick Hernandez.

Here is a lovely carpenter bee from the southeastern part of the U.S., a bit smaller than X. viginica and as far as I know nests in twigs rather and does no damage to timbers (not that X. virginica does much in the way of real structural damage).

The Virginia Carpenter bee. The bane of those who build with Cedar Siding, have redwood picnic tables, or who have barns made with softwoods. Other than the recently invaded Lithurgus chrysurus (we certainly will hear more about this wood eater in coming years), this is our only bee int he East that regularly makes holes in wooden structures.