Images

Pseudagapostemon citricornis - More Chilean bees from Laurence Packer's expedition to southern Chile. Photographs by Kelly Graninger.

Epiclopis gayi - a cleptoparasitic bee (a.k.a nest parasite or cuckoo bee) of almost certainly Centris bees. Perhaps even of the Centris bee that was posted just prior to this as this bee was also collected in southern Chile on the expedition with Laurence Packer. Photos by Kelly Graniger and Anders Croft.

Epiclopis gayi - a cleptoparasitic bee (a.k.a nest parasite or cuckoo bee) of almost certainly Centris bees. Perhaps even of the Centris bee that was posted just prior to this as this bee was also collected in southern Chile on the expedition with Laurence Packer. Photos by Kelly Graniger and Anders Croft.

A little Chilicola species found on the expedition to southern Chile with Laurence Packer. A wee stem nesting bee. Photograph by Anders Croft.

A little Chilicola species found on the expedition to southern Chile with Laurence Packer. A wee stem nesting bee. Photograph by Anders Croft.

A little Chilicola species found on the expedition to southern Chile with Laurence Packer. A wee stem nesting bee. Photograph by Anders Croft.

The langorous bright whiteness of the Virginia Fringetree...this specimenk (and photograph) from howard county taken by Helen Lowe Metzman as part of her documentation of native plants. Attractive to bees. Should be planted more often.

A beautiful pale white and green horse fly from North Carolina, Chlorotabanus crepuscular, a drinker of blood that comes out only at dawn and dusk, this is a southern species I had not seen before. This specimen was collected in Duck, North Carolina by Lisa Kuder. Picture taken by Ashleigh Jacobs.

A beautiful pale white and green horse fly from North Carolina, Chlorotabanus crepuscular, a drinker of blood that comes out only at dawn and dusk, this is a southern species I had not seen before. This specimen was collected in Duck, North Carolina by Lisa Kuder. Picture taken by Ashleigh Jacobs.

Always good for a lingering look is the glitzy Chrysidid Wasp group. I am not sure what species this is but it was found during Adirondack ATBI bioblitz this past week and was used to demonstrate the camera set up for the crowd. A nest parasite, usually of hymenoptera, one has to wonder ... why so metallic Mr. Wasp? Stack taken by Dejen Mengis.

Chrysidid wasp, species unknown, Maryland 2012, the black wings with the infraction patterns against the span of metallic pits, has to be seen at large full screen to be appreciated, Anne Arundel County

Cleaning up my backlog....the head of a very small Chrysidid Wasp...a nest parasite or cleptoparasite of other insects...often bees and wasps. Maryland. Picture taken by Brooke Alexander

Always good for a lingering look is the glitzy Chrysidid Wasp group. I am not sure what species this is but it was found during Adirondack ATBI bioblitz this past week and was used to demonstrate the camera set up for the crowd. A nest parasite, usually of hymenoptera, one has to wonder ... why so metallic Mr. Wasp? Stack taken by Dejen Mengis.

20X Lens Tests. I am posting 3 pictures taken with a "new" 20X Mitutoyo Plan Apo Infinity Corrected Long WD Microscope Objective attached to an old 200mm Pentax lens. This allows me to start getting into some extreme stack territory. That said this lens new is over \$2000.00 U.S. However, I found a scratched one on Ebay for \$300.00.

Another Chrysidid wasp (cuckoo wasp) from the Hart-Miller Dredge Spoil site in Baltimore Harbor, collected by Eugene Scarpulla, photographed by Brooke Alexander Identification by Lynn KimseyCanon 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 o

Another Chrysidid wasp (cuckoo wasp) from the Hart-Miller Dredge Spoil site in Baltimore Harbor, collected by Eugene Scarpulla, photographed by Brooke Alexander Identification by Lynn KimseyCanon 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 o

Another Chrysidid wasp (cuckoo wasp) from the Hart-Miller Dredge Spoil site in Baltimore Harbor, collected by Eugene Scarpulla, photographed by Brooke Alexander Identification by Lynn KimseyCanon 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 o

Chrysochus auratus, Indian Hemp Beetle, Beltsville, Maryland

Chrysochus auratus, dogbane beetle, Beltsvillle, Maryland, 2012

Chrysochus auratus, dogbane beetle, Beltsvillle, Maryland, 2012

Chrysocolletes species, Wavy-haired Bee, specimen collected by Laurence in Australia Another genus of bees whose range is restricted to Australia; five species are known, but three of them are only known from male specimens, the females remain unknown.