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Explore our planet through photography and imagery, including climate change and water all the way back to the 1800s when the USGS was surveying the country by horse and buggy.

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Coelioxys alternata, M, back
Coelioxys alternata, M, back
Coelioxys alternata, M, back

Coelioxys alternata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected by Stephanie Wilson at the Morris Arboretum

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Coelioxys alternata, M, face
Coelioxys alternata, M, face
Coelioxys alternata, M, face

Coelioxys alternata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected by Stephanie Wilson at the Morris Arboretum

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Coelioxys alternata, M, side
Coelioxys alternata, M, side
Coelioxys alternata, M, side

Coelioxys alternata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected by Stephanie Wilson at the Morris Arboretum

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Coelioxys banksi, f, back, Mercer Co., NJ
Coelioxys banksi, f, back, Mercer Co., NJ
Coelioxys banksi, f, back, Mercer Co., NJ

Interesting and very uncommon bee. Meet Coelioxys banksi. I have only seen a couple, both from NJ, I think. What bee is their host? There are specimens from the East Coast and from the West with a hiatus in the middle. Are they different species or are we simply lousy at finding them? What ever is going on , a pretty slick looking bee.

Interesting and very uncommon bee. Meet Coelioxys banksi. I have only seen a couple, both from NJ, I think. What bee is their host? There are specimens from the East Coast and from the West with a hiatus in the middle. Are they different species or are we simply lousy at finding them? What ever is going on , a pretty slick looking bee.

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Coelioxys banksi, f, face, Mercer Co., NJ
Coelioxys banksi, f, face, Mercer Co., NJ
Coelioxys banksi, f, face, Mercer Co., NJ

Interesting and very uncommon bee. Meet Coelioxys banksi. I have only seen a couple, both from NJ, I think. What bee is their host? There are specimens from the East Coast and from the West with a hiatus in the middle. Are they different species or are we simply lousy at finding them? What ever is going on , a pretty slick looking bee.

Interesting and very uncommon bee. Meet Coelioxys banksi. I have only seen a couple, both from NJ, I think. What bee is their host? There are specimens from the East Coast and from the West with a hiatus in the middle. Are they different species or are we simply lousy at finding them? What ever is going on , a pretty slick looking bee.

close up of image
Coelioxys banksi, f, right, Mercer Co., NJ
Coelioxys banksi, f, right, Mercer Co., NJ
Coelioxys banksi, f, right, Mercer Co., NJ

Interesting and very uncommon bee. Meet Coelioxys banksi. I have only seen a couple, both from NJ, I think. What bee is their host? There are specimens from the East Coast and from the West with a hiatus in the middle. Are they different species or are we simply lousy at finding them? What ever is going on , a pretty slick looking bee.

Interesting and very uncommon bee. Meet Coelioxys banksi. I have only seen a couple, both from NJ, I think. What bee is their host? There are specimens from the East Coast and from the West with a hiatus in the middle. Are they different species or are we simply lousy at finding them? What ever is going on , a pretty slick looking bee.

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Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, angle
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, angle
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, angle

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

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Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, face
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, face
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, face

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

close up of image
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, side
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, side
Coelioxys cayennensis, f, argentina, side

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

A lovely Coelioxys from Argentina...note the hair emerging from the eyeballs..one of the few groups of bee species to have this characteristic. (honey bees being the most famous hairy eyeball bees). A nest parasite of Megachile, this female is typical in shape of the abdomen, long and sharp designed to insert eggs into the walls of the other bee's nests.

close up of image
Coelioxys dolichos, f, back, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, back, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, back, md, kent county

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

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Coelioxys dolichos, f, face, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, face, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, face, md, kent county

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

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Coelioxys dolichos, f, faceclose, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, faceclose, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, faceclose, md, kent county

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

close up of image
Coelioxys dolichos, f, side, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, side, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, f, side, md, kent county

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

Most Coelioxys look similar (don't you agree?), dulled gray black, heavily pitted, with strong patterns of popping white hair bands. Ah, but here, we have one arrayed in batmobile colors, glossy, midnight black with reduced pitting and purple/black wings.

close up of image
Coelioxys dolichos, m, face, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, m, face, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, m, face, md, kent county

The dark and mysterious nest parasite of Megachile xylocopoides, one of the few records for the state of Maryland, but more are expected as M. xylocopoides spreads northward. This specimen from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Kent County.

The dark and mysterious nest parasite of Megachile xylocopoides, one of the few records for the state of Maryland, but more are expected as M. xylocopoides spreads northward. This specimen from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Kent County.

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Coelioxys dolichos, m, side, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, m, side, md, kent county
Coelioxys dolichos, m, side, md, kent county

The dark and mysterious nest parasite of Megachile xylocopoides, one of the few records for the state of Maryland, but more are expected as M. xylocopoides spreads northward. This specimen from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Kent County.

The dark and mysterious nest parasite of Megachile xylocopoides, one of the few records for the state of Maryland, but more are expected as M. xylocopoides spreads northward. This specimen from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Kent County.

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Coelioxys germana, m, back, Kent Co, MD
Coelioxys germana, m, back, Kent Co, MD
Coelioxys germana, m, back, Kent Co, MD

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

close up of image
Coelioxys germana, m, face, Kent Co, MD
Coelioxys germana, m, face, Kent Co, MD
Coelioxys germana, m, face, Kent Co, MD

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

close up of image
Coelioxys germana, m, side, Kent Co, MD, new box
Coelioxys germana, m, side, Kent Co, MD, new box
Coelioxys germana, m, side, Kent Co, MD, new box

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

First Maryland state record for this species as represented by this male from Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge on a wee island in the Chesapeake Bay. As a Coelioxys it is going to be a nest parasite of Megachile...in this case it is going after Megachile petulans....a species with a more southern distribution.

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Coelioxys gilensis, m, back, Mariposa CA
Coelioxys gilensis, m, back, Mariposa CA
Coelioxys gilensis, m, back, Mariposa CA

The taper looks of a nest parasite of Megachile. This is Coelioxys gilensis. Found in Yosemite National park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Global Change Biol. 2016).

The taper looks of a nest parasite of Megachile. This is Coelioxys gilensis. Found in Yosemite National park and collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al. Global Change Biol. 2016).

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