Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
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.
Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.
Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.
Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.
Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.
Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.
Dark Bee. Some bees are all black, black hairs, black integument (skin), little reflection. This makes for somewhat eerie photography, a gothic presentation of a species that does not care what we think. Northern and mountain in distribution across both sides of the continent. This one from way up in Yosemite National Park in California.
The male of Hoplitis albifrons, a common northern and western mountain species. Relatively large, almost the size of a honey bee at least in length. 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. Gloebal Change Biol. 2016). Photograph by Samia Shell.
The male of Hoplitis albifrons, a common northern and western mountain species. Relatively large, almost the size of a honey bee at least in length. 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. Gloebal Change Biol. 2016). Photograph by Samia Shell.
Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).
Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).
Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).
Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).
Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).
Hoplitis anthocopoides - relatively recently introduced species into North America, this is a bee who specializes in the equally introduced plant Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare).
More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female.
More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female.
More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female.
More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female.
More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female, you can see its pollen carrying hairs under its abdomen.
More shots of a shiny bright blue/purple Hoplitis fulgida. This one from Yosemite National Park, collected by Claire Kremen's group. This one is a female, you can see its pollen carrying hairs under its abdomen.
Hoplitis fulgida, a female from Grand Tetons National Park, collected as part of a study of climate change. Most species in this genus are the normal black colored bee things, but a few, like this one are, as the Latin in name implies, glittering jewels. Sierra Williams took this stacked shot. Elizabeth Garcia Shopped it.
Hoplitis fulgida, a female from Grand Tetons National Park, collected as part of a study of climate change. Most species in this genus are the normal black colored bee things, but a few, like this one are, as the Latin in name implies, glittering jewels. Sierra Williams took this stacked shot. Elizabeth Garcia Shopped it.
Hoplitis fulgida, a female from Grand Tetons National Park, collected as part of a study of climate change. Most species in this genus are the normal black colored bee things, but a few, like this one are, as the Latin in name implies, glittering jewels.
Hoplitis fulgida, a female from Grand Tetons National Park, collected as part of a study of climate change. Most species in this genus are the normal black colored bee things, but a few, like this one are, as the Latin in name implies, glittering jewels.
Hoplitis fulgida (fulgid is Latin for bling). This is one of our early shots, taken of a bee from Grand Teton National Park. It is a terrible specimen in many ways, not symmetrically arrayed, a bit crumpled, probably why I had ignored it.
Hoplitis fulgida (fulgid is Latin for bling). This is one of our early shots, taken of a bee from Grand Teton National Park. It is a terrible specimen in many ways, not symmetrically arrayed, a bit crumpled, probably why I had ignored it.
The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.
The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.
The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.
The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.
The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.
The equally bright but skinny version of Hoplitis fulgida. More bees from Yosemite National Park in California by Claire Kremen's group. Photo by Anders Croft.
Hoplitis fulgida (fulgid is Latin for bling). This is one of our early shots, taken of a bee from Grand Teton National Park. It is a terrible specimen in many ways, not symmetrically arrayed, a bit crumpled, probably why I had ignored it.
Hoplitis fulgida (fulgid is Latin for bling). This is one of our early shots, taken of a bee from Grand Teton National Park. It is a terrible specimen in many ways, not symmetrically arrayed, a bit crumpled, probably why I had ignored it.
The Blue-eyed Bee. Hoplitis pilosifrons. One of the Megachilidae...they tuck pollen under their abdomen to carry to their nests rather than on their legs like the classic honey bee model. Collected at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge ...a refuge not created for bees, but now embracing their bee communities with plantings and management.
The Blue-eyed Bee. Hoplitis pilosifrons. One of the Megachilidae...they tuck pollen under their abdomen to carry to their nests rather than on their legs like the classic honey bee model. Collected at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge ...a refuge not created for bees, but now embracing their bee communities with plantings and management.
The Blue-eyed Bee. Hoplitis pilosifrons. One of the Megachilidae...they tuck pollen under their abdomen to carry to their nests rather than on their legs like the classic honey bee model. Collected at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge ...a refuge not created for bees, but now embracing their bee communities with plantings and management.
The Blue-eyed Bee. Hoplitis pilosifrons. One of the Megachilidae...they tuck pollen under their abdomen to carry to their nests rather than on their legs like the classic honey bee model. Collected at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge ...a refuge not created for bees, but now embracing their bee communities with plantings and management.
Hoplitis pilosifrons. Oft overlooked. This species is relatively common occurring in almost any substantive collection of bees from a region or location anywhere East of the Rockies. It has the bad habit of being bland in its characters and often leads to misidentifications.
Hoplitis pilosifrons. Oft overlooked. This species is relatively common occurring in almost any substantive collection of bees from a region or location anywhere East of the Rockies. It has the bad habit of being bland in its characters and often leads to misidentifications.
Hoplitis pilosifrons. Oft overlooked. This species is relatively common occurring in almost any substantive collection of bees from a region or location anywhere East of the Rockies. It has the bad habit of being bland in its characters and often leads to misidentifications.
Hoplitis pilosifrons. Oft overlooked. This species is relatively common occurring in almost any substantive collection of bees from a region or location anywhere East of the Rockies. It has the bad habit of being bland in its characters and often leads to misidentifications.