Images

Why do you insist, Pilgrim, on planting your garden with geraniums, tea roses, and begonias? You could be planting your garden to Woodlands sunflowers and then you would have the opportunity to help out the uncommon and undoubtedly declining Paranthidium jugatorium.

Why do you insist, Pilgrim, on planting your garden with geraniums, tea roses, and begonias? You could be planting your garden to Woodlands sunflowers and then you would have the opportunity to help out the uncommon and undoubtedly declining Paranthidium jugatorium.

Why do you insist, Pilgrim, on planting your garden with geraniums, tea roses, and begonias? You could be planting your garden to Woodlands sunflowers and then you would have the opportunity to help out the uncommon and undoubtedly declining Paranthidium jugatorium.

Paranthidium jugatorium, male, first record for Maryland, Allegany County

First Maryland Record, Allegany County, Maryland, Parnthidium jugatorium female, July 2010 on a woodland sunflower in the Mountains

Paranthidium jugatorium, male July 2012, Allegany County, First State record.

Mark Hepner collected this Puppy in West Virginia. This lovely yellow and black species (a common pattern out there in the bee world) is one of those specialist bees that lives in its own little neighborhood. That neighborhood for Paranthidium jugatorium is the world provided by Woodland Sunflowers...but only in the East, which means it is an Appalachian species.

Pararhophites orobinus, Yellow Pollen Ball Bee, collected in Uzbekistan by Christophe Praz. This interesting little bee belongs to a genus of just three species from North Africa through Central Asia. They continue to confuse bee experts because of uncertainties about where they fit in the classificatory scheme. This is a work in progress.

Pararhophites orobinus, Yellow Pollen Ball Bee, collected in Uzbekistan by Christophe Praz. This interesting little bee belongs to a genus of just three species from North Africa through Central Asia. They continue to confuse bee experts because of uncertainties about where they fit in the classificatory scheme. This is a work in progress.

Pararhophites orobinus, Yellow Pollen Ball Bee, collected in Uzbekistan by Christophe Praz. This interesting little bee belongs to a genus of just three species from North Africa through Central Asia. They continue to confuse bee experts because of uncertainties about where they fit in the classificatory scheme. This is a work in progress.

Feeds Baby Oil. Yes, a subcult of the many bees of the world are those who, in addition to feeding their young pollen, feed them oil from plants that produce oil for that very purpose. Here is such a bee, a Paratetrapedia collected by Tim McMahon in Costa Rica. It has special hairs to transport the oil to the nest.

Feeds Baby Oil. Yes, a subcult of the many bees of the world are those who, in addition to feeding their young pollen, feed them oil from plants that produce oil for that very purpose. Here is such a bee, a Paratetrapedia collected by Tim McMahon in Costa Rica. It has special hairs to transport the oil to the nest.

Feeds Baby Oil. Yes, a subcult of the many bees of the world are those who, in addition to feeding their young pollen, feed them oil from plants that produce oil for that very purpose. Here is such a bee, a Paratetrapedia collected by Tim McMahon in Costa Rica. It has special hairs to transport the oil to the nest.

The subtle and calmness that is the speckled sharpshooter, captured in grass in Upper Marlboro, MD

The subtle and calmness that is the speckled sharpshooter, captured in grass in Upper Marlboro, MD

Another nest parasite...as species that lays its eggs in the nest of other bees. In this case this species is known to lay its eggs in the group of bees in the genus Chalepogenus which occur south of the Amazonian region in South America. This specimens from the Packer Lab at York University.

Another nest parasite...as species that lays its eggs in the nest of other bees. In this case this species is known to lay its eggs in the group of bees in the genus Chalepogenus which occur south of the Amazonian region in South America. This specimens from the Packer Lab at York University.

Another nest parasite...as species that lays its eggs in the nest of other bees. In this case this species is known to lay its eggs in the group of bees in the genus Chalepogenus which occur south of the Amazonian region in South America. This specimens from the Packer Lab at York University.

This is picture 9 from a 12 picture invited series by Matt Buffington (matt.buffington@usda.gov) at the USDA Parastitic Hymentoptera group using specimens from the U.S. Natural History Museum Smithsonian. Matt uses a system very similar to ours to photograph and stack this super tiny wasp.

Pasites maculatus, White-spotted Red Cuckoo Bee, specimen collected by Ron McGinley in PakistanTaxonomists have given plenty of Red Cuckoo Bees names, 23 globally to be exact, but only the White-spotted Red Cuckoo Bee has received much attention beyond the usual cataloging.

Pasites maculatus, White-spotted Red Cuckoo Bee, specimen collected by Ron McGinley in PakistanTaxonomists have given plenty of Red Cuckoo Bees names, 23 globally to be exact, but only the White-spotted Red Cuckoo Bee has received much attention beyond the usual cataloging.