Images

A populous genus with many South American species, check out the ultra wide head of this male from Argentina. From the Packer Lab collection.

A populous genus with many South American species, check out the ultra wide head of this male from Argentina. From the Packer Lab collection.

Meet an illegal immigrant. This is Pseudoanthidium nanum a bee we first realized was present about 10 years ago. It now is established in the NJ and MD areas, and I believe I saw records from the Chicago area last year. I have only found it in the most urban of urban areas on the riot of corrupting weeds that we always bring with us where ever we live.

Meet an illegal immigrant. This is Pseudoanthidium nanum a bee we first realized was present about 10 years ago. It now is established in the NJ and MD areas, and I believe I saw records from the Chicago area last year. I have only found it in the most urban of urban areas on the riot of corrupting weeds that we always bring with us where ever we live.

Meet an illegal immigrant. This is Pseudoanthidium nanum a bee we first realized was present about 10 years ago. It now is established in the NJ and MD areas, and I believe I saw records from the Chicago area last year. I have only found it in the most urban of urban areas on the riot of corrupting weeds that we always bring with us where ever we live.

Pseudomyrmex gracilis from Biscayne National Park, Florida. Thanks to Doug Yanega for the Genus name and James Trager for the species name of this introduced species

The lovely web of branches in the pollen collecting hairs of this little bee Pseudopanurgus albitarsis is lovely. A more prairie like species, but here it is in the Shenadoah Valley...always more prairie like than the surrounding mountain landscapes. Collected by Morgan Rondinelli. Photographed by Brooke Alexander.

A mysterious group, Pseudopanurgus, not very common, probably are to some extent plant specialists, but little studied, almost for sure there are several new species throughout North America and even in the eastern portions, but yet, but yet"¦where is the young ready to embrace a new Adventure and sort all this lovely diversity?

A mysterious group, Pseudopanurgus, not very common, probably are to some extent plant specialists, but little studied, almost for sure there are several new species throughout North America and even in the eastern portions, but yet, but yet"¦where is the young ready to embrace a new Adventure and sort all this lovely diversity?

A mysterious group, Pseudopanurgus, not very common, probably are to some extent plant specialists, but little studied, almost for sure there are several new species throughout North America and even in the eastern portions, but yet, but yet"¦where is the young ready to embrace a new Adventure and sort all this lovely diversity?

Pseudopanurgus rugosus, collected by the glorious State of Virginia Natural Heritage group. This whole group is a bit of a nightmare. Uncommon, tiny, often very similar looking and widely ignored by taxonomists. I often have to leave them as sp....or as we say 'spuh'.

Pseudopanurgus rugosus, collected by the glorious State of Virginia Natural Heritage group. This whole group is a bit of a nightmare. Uncommon, tiny, often very similar looking and widely ignored by taxonomists. I often have to leave them as sp....or as we say 'spuh'.

Pseudopanurgus rugosus, collected by the glorious State of Virginia Natural Heritage group. This whole group is a bit of a nightmare. Uncommon, tiny, often very similar looking and widely ignored by taxonomists. I often have to leave them as sp....or as we say 'spuh'.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 2011

May or may not be a parasitic wasp, could be an aculeate, Dominican Republic, photographed floating in hand sanitizer in a quartz cuvette. Roger Burks via Doug Yanega identified this as Psilochalcis

Putting up the last 2 in the sieres of this species.Pterocheilus quinquefasciatus. - Hunter of caterpillars...in this case, hunter of caterpillars in South Dakota Badlands.

Putting up the last 2 in the sieres of this species.Pterocheilus quinquefasciatus. - Hunter of caterpillars...in this case, hunter of caterpillars in South Dakota Badlands.

Pterocheilus quinquefasciatus. - Hunter of caterpillars...in this case, hunter of caterpillars in South Dakota Badlands. This wasp has long stiff hairs on the palps of its tongue and it uses them like a basket...carrying dirt of its nest and away from the nest entrance so it is harder for parasitoids to track its babies locations.

Pterostichus permundus - A new Carabid Beetle for the State of Maryland. Captured at Cove Point at the tip of Calvert County Maryland by Brent Steury as part of his survey of the beetles of the site. For those of you who care, the leg shot is included showing the 4 tiny setae that separate this species from its sister taxa.

Pterostichus permundus - A new Carabid Beetle for the State of Maryland. Captured at Cove Point at the tip of Calvert County Maryland by Brent Steury as part of his survey of the beetles of the site. For those of you who care, the leg shot is included showing the 4 tiny setae that separate this species from its sister taxa.

I have nicknamed this bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis) the refuge bee because it is found so often on National Wildlife Refuges. Why? Well this species is a hibiscus specialist and refuges are full of impoundments and those impoundments often have fresh water hibiscus plants in them.