All Multimedia

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

Appropriately coming from the latin noun for emerald, comes this large lovely from western Australia.

I believe that this specimen came from Kenya, but I could be wrong about that, will have to check with Laurence Packer and look up the barcode number. Note the cool oil collecting hairs present under the abdomen.

I believe that this specimen came from Kenya, but I could be wrong about that, will have to check with Laurence Packer and look up the barcode number. Note the cool oil collecting hairs present under the abdomen.

Unknown Cuerna species of Leafhopper from Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming

A native plant associated with dry rocky areas...usually intermixed with woodlands. As a mint it probably is a reasonable bee plant as an obscure, small plant it probably hasn't been looked at that much. Classic native mint used in all sorts of teas and infusions. Photo and specimen by Helen Low Metzman, Howard County, MD.

A native plant associated with dry rocky areas...usually intermixed with woodlands. As a mint it probably is a reasonable bee plant as an obscure, small plant it probably hasn't been looked at that much. Classic native mint used in all sorts of teas and infusions. Photo and specimen by Helen Low Metzman, Howard County, MD.

Cupido comyntas, July 2012, Beltsville, Maryland, USA

Unknown large weevil from Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Unknown large weevil from Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

Ironically, after posting a picture of a dead white footed mouse, we post a picture of a skin warble or bot fly from the same species or species group of mice. In this case this is Cuterebra fontinella, a rather handsome fly with an interesting lifestyle. Collected as part of a large bumblebee survey by volunteers for Eric Rayfield. Photograph by Hannah Sutton.

Christmas lights jumping spider from the Dominican Republic, species unknown, but surprisingly marked with fluorescent scales

Christmas Lights Jumping Spider from the Dominican Republic, species unknown, but surprisingly marked with fluorescent scales

Dalmannia pacifica Fly, Fossil Butte National Monument, Wyoming. In hand sanitizer in a cuvette Ben added a piece of black construction paper on the bottom of the cuvette to decrease the reflectance of the cuvette wall, this worked, but the paper bled purple/blue..for an interesting effect.

Taraxacum officinale, common dandelion found in lawn of building 308 at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center, Beltsville, MD

Tenebrionidae, found at night chewing on a small patch of shelf fungi on a stump in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Tenebrionidae, found at night chewing on a small patch of shelf fungi on a stump in Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Dasymutilla gloriosa. Thistledown Velvet Ant. Elizabeth Garcia who took this picture claimed this one creeped her out. ... and she sees a lot of wasps and bees. Not an ant, but a wasp. This it the wingeless female collected by Tim McMahon in Cochise County in Arizona. Desert.

Dasymutilla gloriosa. Thistledown Velvet Ant. Elizabeth Garcia who took this picture claimed this one creeped her out. ... and she sees a lot of wasps and bees. Not an ant, but a wasp. This it the wingeless female collected by Tim McMahon in Cochise County in Arizona. Desert.

Unknown species of Dasymutilla, Beltsville, Maryland 2012, July

Dasymutilla, Maryland, Beltsville, July 2012