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Sand. The Golden Sand Loving Bee. When I think of bees that are sand loving I think of Lasioglossum vierecki. For one, how nice to have a golden orange bee to look at. For second it is common in sandy areas...so if you are going to find a sand specialist in a sand mine, dune, beach, barren, sandhill in the Northeast there you will find this little orange bee.

Sand. The Golden Sand Loving Bee. When I think of bees that are sand loving I think of Lasioglossum vierecki. For one, how nice to have a golden orange bee to look at. For second it is common in sandy areas...so if you are going to find a sand specialist in a sand mine, dune, beach, barren, sandhill in the Northeast there you will find this little orange bee.

A little golden bee, this is an easy to identify Lasioglossum vierecki...and most Lasioglossum species are not easy to identify. Gold butt and golden hair boom you know the species. Often found in sandy areas...this one from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Photo by Heagan Ahmed.

A little golden bee, this is an easy to identify Lasioglossum vierecki...and most Lasioglossum species are not easy to identify. Gold butt and golden hair boom you know the species. Often found in sandy areas...this one from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Photo by Heagan Ahmed.

Lasioglossum zonulum "“ A male of this large, single weakened vein, northern species, one often confused with the very similar Lasioglossum leucozonium. Captured in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and photographed by Brooke Alexander

Lasioglossum zonulum "“ A male of this large, single weakened vein, northern species, one often confused with the very similar Lasioglossum leucozonium. Captured in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and photographed by Brooke Alexander

Lasioglossum foxii, Alleghany County, Maryland, July 2012

Lasioglossum foxii, Maryland, Female, Alleghany County, July 2012

Lasioglossum marinum, Female, Florida, National Park Service, Fort Matanzas National Monument

Lasioglossum near puteulanum, female, A not previously known invasive bee for the Hawaiian Islands, March, 2012 Oahu

Lasioglossum near puteulanum, male, A not previously known invasive bee for the Hawaiian Islands, March, 2012 Oahu

Lasioglossum nymphaearum, female, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan, September 2011

Lasioglossum pictum, female, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

Lasioglossum gotham is a small sweat bee, that I find mostly in the early spring, mostly in Woodlands and I suspect it is very much keyed in to nesting in upturned root masses of trees in those woodlands.

Lasioglossum microlepoides, female - March 2012, Hawaii; An alien species from North America, Newly detected in Hawaii

Lasioglossum truncatum, female, Pink overtones is from reflections from the stand we were using at the time, the bee is entirely black and white

Lasioglossum truncatum, Garrett County Maryland, July 2012

Female Northern Black Widow Spider, Beltsville, MD Prince George's County, Collected by Jessica Zelt

Female Northern Black Widow Spider, Beltsville, MD Prince George's County, Collected by Jessica Zelt

Female Northern Black Widow Spider, Beltsville, MD Prince George's County, Collected by Jessica Zelt

Unknown Leaf Beetle collected and , at Kenilworth Aquatic gardens. Nice shot showing the exposed flying wings under the wing coverings you would normally only see (elytra). Small about the size of a grain of rice. Photo by Sydney Price.