Images

Eriotremex formosanus, A giant introduced horntail from Asia found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

Rattlesnake Master. What a lovely name for Eryngium yuccifolium. Not so common in the wild,but people are planting it regularly now and it usually yields a lovely show of bees on the blooms. Photo and plant by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Some ratty specimens of Eucera dubitata from West Virginia. Photos by Kamren Jefferson.

Previously seen on this Flickr site was the male of Eucera dubitata, now here is the female. The genus is a spring one and as you can see from its longggg tongue it has the equipment to harvest nectar and pollen from long corolla-ed flowers.

Carphophis amoenus amoenus - sadly one that I chopped up when digging my garden today...but at least I was able to take a picture. 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.

Calopteryx maculata, Ebony Jewelwing, Beltsville, Maryland Stream, Male June 2013

Calopteryx maculata, Ebony Jewelwing, Beltsville, Maryland Stream, Male June 2013

Calopteryx maculata, Ebony Jewelwing, Beltsville, Maryland Stream, Male June 2013

Cactus seed supplied by the Desert Botanical GardenCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

The first set in a long series of pictures to come out of a visit to Laurence Packer's lab, where we are picking out all sorts of lovely world wide bees to photograph. This dandy (yes it is tomato colored) is common in the temperate areas of Chile and Argentina, this bad girl is from Chile.

Destroyer of Ash, this is Agrilus planipennis an invasive Buprestid that has invaded North America where it feeds on Ash. trees. At this point all ash trees in North America are threatened and could ecologically eliminate them from North American forests. On the other hand it is a beautiful Buprestid beetle that simply was brought to the wrong place.

Destroyer of Ash, this is Agrilus planipennis an invasive Buprestid that has invaded North America where it feeds on Ash. trees. At this point all ash trees in North America are threatened and could ecologically eliminate them from North American forests. On the other hand it is a beautiful Buprestid beetle that simply was brought to the wrong place.

A series of 6 pictures of 3 species of very uncommon beetles that are new records for the region from George Washington Memorial Parkway unit of the National Park Service. Collected by Brent Steury.

A nest parasite of Colletes bees, this sharp looking, heavily armored Epeolus bifasciatus was found in Badlands National Park in South Dakota

A nicely arrayed longhorned bee from southern Georgia. It is rare that we get to see a bee so nicely laid out. Of the tens of thousands of these that we process each year most are hair-matted, covered in pollen or dirt, have crumpled wings, and are nowhere near this symmetrical. What a delight.Collected by Sabrie Breland in cool whispering Pines of the lowlands.

Very orange and fluffy he is. And very uncommonly found. This was a nice bee to see from Sabrie Breland's captures in old long-leaf pine forests in Southern Georgia. Fulvohirta indeed. Pictures taken by Sara Guerrieri.

Eucera rosae a rather uncommon spring bee in same group as the more abundant Melissodes species. This one came from the Saint Mary's City area of Southern Maryland collected by Elaine Szymkowiak.

Eugloss dilemma, male, Florida, Biscayne National Park

Euryglossidia species, Pinnochio Euryglossidia, collected in Australia by Laurence PackerThis undescribed species was collected in Western Australia after particularly good winter rains. It has an unusually pointed "nose". No reason for this unusual modification is known.

A large, parasitic orchid bee (Exaerte smaragdina). This bumble bee sized shimmering saucepan of blue and melted green was collected by Tim McMahon a few days ago in the Bagaces region of Costa Rica, where he used chemical lures similar to the orchid oils that these bees gather from .... orchids in the canopy.

Unknown species of fly found in Upper Marlboro, Maryland