Melissodes subillata, f, back, velum, Dorchester Co, MD

A small Melissodes bee, in a difficult to identify subgenus....in this case this specimen is covered with pollen, which pollen from what type of plant...? Unclear. But it is from a study of agricultural field edges in Maine by Brianne Du Clos...that much we know. Photograph by Hannah Sutton. 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. USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.