Images

South Dakota, Badlands National Park

South Dakota, Badlands National Park

South Dakota, Badlands National Park

Here we have the nest parasite of one of Puerto Rico's Centris bees. Its lays its eggs in the nests of the host, kills the hosts egg or young and eats the stores. Taxonomically its not clear what this species is but it appears to be close to (aff. = affiliated with) M. rufipes. Perhaps you, dear reader, will figure that out.

Collected by Tim McMahon in Costa Rica, this is a nest parasite of Centris species, this is Mesoplia rufipes. Nicely aglow with red legs and a blue abdomen. Photo by Anders Croft.

The complicated underside of Coelioxys modesta. Do you really relate to something so radically different from yourself? We have very little morphologically in common with Mr. C. modesta but we do share the planet. Photography by Heagan Ahmed. Shopping by Wayne Boo.

Danaus plexippus. The Monarch Butterfly. Maryland.

One of the most common bees in the East...if only we could figure out how to identify it more easily. Here we have Lasioglossum trigeminum. Fits right in with A. admirandum, A. versatum, and A. callidum and I often struggle with dark second thoughts about the specimens Id, because of all the overlap.

Nomada affabilis...a very large Nomada. I think this species is almost certainly a nest parasite of bees in the genus Eucera...which is quite a different path from most of the other Nomada which are primarily, though not exclusively, nest parasites of Andrena.

Nomada affabilis a likely nest parasite of Eucera bees, something people still need to determine for sure.

This Nomada is also from Washington County in southeastern Ohio. It was also collected by MaLisa Spring and is thought to be a nest parasites of Andrena macra a southern bee. Why are they all stripy and yellow? Photographed by Brooke Alexander.

One of the western Nomada bee species, that just barely makes into the East. Unusual in how white some of the markings are on the abdomen. This nest parasite was collected by Elaine Evans in North Dakota.

A nest parasite of a bee. This species lays its eggs in the nests of Agapostemon bees, where it kills the host larva and then eats the stores placed there by the host female. We all know people like this. Bee was collected in New York City as part of a survey of bees of Gateway National Recreation Area. Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

A nest parasite of bees in the genus Agapostemon...perhaps this one targets Agapostemon splendens...which as the name implies is particularly splendidly arrayed in metallic blues and greens. This bee was captured as part of a survey of bees in Gateway National Recreation Area...which includes much of the harbor area of New York City.

The genus Nomada includes many species with murky taxonomies. The group of species with an extra tooth off the tip (we call them the bidentate group) are particularly tricky with molecular working showing it to be a swarm of many "species". So it goes in insect land.

The genus Nomada includes many species with murky taxonomies. The group of species with an extra tooth off the tip (we call them the bidentate group) are particularly tricky with molecular working showing it to be a swarm of many "species". So it goes in insect land.

Osmia georgica - Note the slight orangish tone to the hairs under the abdomen. These are used to carry the pollen they collect while out and about. Found in Maryland and photographed by Sue Boo

A not that great shot of a beat up male Osmia georgica from Maryland. why did I choose this lousy specimen? I am just not sure. Photo by Amanda Robinson. 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.

Range Jumper. This range jumper jumped from Illinois to Virginia. There are no records in between. How odd....this is a rare bee in its limited range in the Midwest and to find it all the way in the Mountains of Virginia seems near fantastical, but there it is and more than one specimen too.

Here you can see the sculptured wonder of an Osmia's Mandibles...designed to cut leaves to line their nests. While indistinct you can see the notch out of the rim of the clypeus that defines this species. The classic Blue Orchard Bee, that many gardeners make nests for by drilling blocks of wood or buying little houses or straws.

Forgot to upload this back shot of the midnight blue Osmia montana. Collected in the mountains of Yosemite National Park as part of a burn recovery project by Claire Kremen's group. Photos by Anders Croft.