Images

Another old and ancient fulgorid specimen from the Smithsonian. If you peer upclose you can see that it is a wall of tiny dust and dirt specs a sign of a collection that at one point was not so collected as it is at the Natural History museum. The hole below the eye was likely made by a friendly dermestid larvae. Still useful and still spectacular.

Ophiogomphus susbehcha, cast skin, collected by Richard Orr along the Potomac River

Ophiogomphus susbehcha, cast skin, collected by Richard Orr along the Potomac River

Euglossa....the orchid bees, swanky glintlings of the New World tropical forests. The males gather fragrances produced by orchids who are then pollinated by the infatuations of these males.

Another orchid bee in the genus Euglossa from Guyana. At present no species name, but perhaps some day I will have time to work with David Roubik on the many species we collected on a Smithsonian expedition into the interior jungles. This is a male, collected using some of the orchid floral scents to attract them that they use in courtship rituals.

Another orchid bee in the genus Euglossa from Guyana. At present no species name, but perhaps some day I will have time to work with David Roubik on the many species we collected on a Smithsonian expedition into the interior jungles. This is a male, collected using some of the orchid floral scents to attract them that they use in courtship rituals.

Another orchid bee in the genus Euglossa from Guyana. At present no species name, but perhaps some day I will have time to work with David Roubik on the many species we collected on a Smithsonian expedition into the interior jungles. This is a male, collected using some of the orchid floral scents to attract them that they use in courtship rituals.

Lovely in its hieroglyphic eyes and metallic chrome plating, this is a tiny little flower fly, just one of many insect models designed without us in mind. That said, it would make a lovely car design. Captured at a stream crossing in Beltsville, Maryland.

Close-up Osage orange fruit, Maryland

More brilliant greens, blues, and purples from the metallic mason bees of western North America. This one (O. aglaia) comes from Yosemite National Park , where Claire Kremen's group has been looking at post burn bee communities in areas of chronic burns. Photograph by Anders Croft.

More brilliant greens, blues, and purples from the metallic mason bees of western North America. This one (O. aglaia) comes from Yosemite National Park , where Claire Kremen's group has been looking at post burn bee communities in areas of chronic burns. Photograph by Anders Croft.

One has to admit, this is a damn awesome bee. I love these colors. The specimen came from the Adirondack Mountains of New York during their BioBlitz 2 years ago. Evocative. 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.

Another widespread mason bee from the West...this one was found in Yellowstone National Park as part of a study of alpine bee populations there. Osmia albolateralis is its name...sadly, like most bees it lacks a common name. Photographed by Elizabeth Garcia.

How unusual. An Osmia with a red abdomen. Very rare. Also as a cool aside. This one also nests in snail shells. Collected by Jelle Devalez on the Aegean islands of Greece. Pictures taken by Maggie Yuan. Shopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

How unusual. An Osmia with a red abdomen. Very rare. Also as a cool aside. This one also nests in snail shells. Collected by Jelle Devalez on the Aegean islands of Greece. Pictures taken by Maggie Yuan. Shopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

How unusual. An Osmia with a red abdomen. Very rare. Also as a cool aside. This one also nests in snail shells. Collected by Jelle Devalez on the Aegean islands of Greece. Pictures taken by Maggie Yuan. Shopping by Elizabeth Garcia.

One of the common spring Osmia, this specimen came from bowl traps right at the lab...unlike other specimens it was processed right away and the luminescence of the eyes of this particular specimen retained at least some of the flavor of what they look like when alive.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flas

Osmia atriventris "“ A female captured in Washington County. This common spring species occurs throughout the East. Photographed by Brooke Alexander

One of the common spring Osmia, this specimen came from bowl traps right at the lab...unlike other specimens it was processed right away and the luminescence of the eyes of this particular specimen retained at least some of the flavor of what they look like when alive.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flas

Osmia, as members of the family Megachilidae often use their jaws in the formation of nests ... collecting plant material or mud and such uses create some wicked cool structures, here are the big jaws of an Osmia from Kyrgystan. This specimen was taken upside down and then inverted to get a bit more dramatic lighting on the lower part of the face.

Here is a series of male and female western glinting Osmia. There is a whole clade of Osmia that have thrust aside the drab dark colors of their Osmini kin for fresh look of maximum iridescence. That iridescence trends across greens and blues and purples with males often more on the green side.