Images

Back to the great Chilean expedition of 2017. Here is Ruizanthedella mutabilis, which, if I recall correctly, is something of a dirtball species, one that was found regularly and elicited no excitement from Laurence Packer, expedition chief. Halictids are like that.

Elderberry...Sambucus nigra in this case....Always listed as a good bee plant, but despite all the bloom I have never been that impressed by the bee coming and going on this plant. But they do bloom over a more extended period than some more bee centric berry bushes. Pictures and plants by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Elderberry...Sambucus nigra in this case....Always listed as a good bee plant, but despite all the bloom I have never been that impressed by the bee coming and going on this plant. But they do bloom over a more extended period than some more bee centric berry bushes. Pictures and plants by Helen Lowe Metzman.

Sand Wasp, female, Sand Wasp from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

sand wasp, female, Sand Wasp from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Sand Wasp, female, Sand Wasp...hunts flies for its nest. Bembix americana antilleana, female, Sand Wasp from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Another shot of Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis by Helen Lowe Metzman in Howard County, Maryland. Note the lovely unfurling leaf.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). An early early spring flower. Named the blood red interior of its root. So red it was used by Native Americans to paint their faces and as a dye. No eating this baby though it is full of alkaloids. Interestingly, one of those alkaloids, sanguinarine is in some mouthwashes.

Glischrochilus sanguinolentus - Another 10X shot, this of the head of a small little sap beetle that I found feeding on the cut end of a Boxelder in my backyard, apparently this beetle is fond of maples, their sap, and the associated fungi/bacteria growing on the sap.

Foot of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, gripping of trees is evident as it the x pattern of the toes. Died in a collision with a building in Washington D.C.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Died in a collision with a building in Washington D.C. recovered by Lights out DC volunteer group.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Wing detail of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Died in a collision with a building in Washington D.C. recovered by Lights out DC volunteer group.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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Sassafrass....the trees are dioecious ... males and females on separate trees. While they do have plenty of flowers they are rarely visited by bees. Perhaps it is more of fly pollination system. Specimens and pictures by Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Sassafrass....the trees are dioecious ... males and females on separate trees. While they do have plenty of flowers they are rarely visited by bees. Perhaps it is more of fly pollination system. Specimens and pictures by Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Sassafrass....the trees are dioecious ... males and females on separate trees. While they do have plenty of flowers they are rarely visited by bees. Perhaps it is more of fly pollination system. Specimens and pictures by Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Sassafrass....the trees are dioecious ... males and females on separate trees. While they do have plenty of flowers they are rarely visited by bees. Perhaps it is more of fly pollination system. Specimens and pictures by Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Aegolius acadicus, the Norther Saw-whet owl. Look at the different feathers that occur around the eye and around the facial disk to increase their ability to hear, but not loose heat. This one unfortunately ran into a building in downtown DC at night while migrating.

Feet of death for small insects and mammals. Aegolius acadicus, the Norther Saw-whet owl. This one unfortunately ran into a building in downtown DC at night while migrating.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Unknown Scale insect on Amaryllis in my laboratory in Beltsville Maryland

Unknown Scale insect on Amaryllis in my laboratory in Beltsville Maryland