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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.
Ah, such an interesting plant for bees. Pontedaria cordata....Pickerelweed. Lives out in fairly deep water, emerges in the spring...sends up a spike of blue flowers in mid-summer. This plant is very attractive to long-tongued bees which have to reach way down to get nectar and pollen.
Ah, such an interesting plant for bees. Pontedaria cordata....Pickerelweed. Lives out in fairly deep water, emerges in the spring...sends up a spike of blue flowers in mid-summer. This plant is very attractive to long-tongued bees which have to reach way down to get nectar and pollen.
Japanese Beetle, Maryland, Beltsville, Popillia japonica, July 2012
Japanese Beetle, Maryland, Beltsville, Popillia japonica, July 2012
Japanese Beetle, Maryland, Beltsville, Popillia japonica, July 2012, pretty spiffy for a pest we never both to look closely at
Japanese Beetle, Maryland, Beltsville, Popillia japonica, July 2012, pretty spiffy for a pest we never both to look closely at
Japanese Beetle, Maryland, Beltsville, Popillia japonica, July 2012
Japanese Beetle, Maryland, Beltsville, Popillia japonica, July 2012
Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy. Dial it one way and you have the raw ingredients for all sorts of natural opiates, dial it another and you have poppy seeds for your bagel. Irregardless of you personal choices the seeds are indeed lovely when viewed from 10X.
Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy. Dial it one way and you have the raw ingredients for all sorts of natural opiates, dial it another and you have poppy seeds for your bagel. Irregardless of you personal choices the seeds are indeed lovely when viewed from 10X.
Ant, The Winter Ant, Prenolepis imparis, aka False HoneyPot ant. This is the head of the male. Small, taken with 10X microscope objective on a 200mm Pentax. Found this past spring in a swarm by Jan Reese who noticed Cedar Waxwings munching on the males in St. Michael's Maryland. Another day in the life of Earth.
Ant, The Winter Ant, Prenolepis imparis, aka False HoneyPot ant. This is the head of the male. Small, taken with 10X microscope objective on a 200mm Pentax. Found this past spring in a swarm by Jan Reese who noticed Cedar Waxwings munching on the males in St. Michael's Maryland. Another day in the life of Earth.
A male alate or the winged reproductive form of the normally wingless ant group. The species is currently unknown, but we have it sent off to someone for identification.
A male alate or the winged reproductive form of the normally wingless ant group. The species is currently unknown, but we have it sent off to someone for identification.
20X Lens Tests. I am posting 3 pictures taken with a "new" 20X Mitutoyo Plan Apo Infinity Corrected Long WD Microscope Objective attached to an old 200mm Pentax lens. This allows me to start getting into some extreme stack territory. That said this lens new is over \$2000.00 U.S. However, I found a scratched one on Ebay for \$300.00.
20X Lens Tests. I am posting 3 pictures taken with a "new" 20X Mitutoyo Plan Apo Infinity Corrected Long WD Microscope Objective attached to an old 200mm Pentax lens. This allows me to start getting into some extreme stack territory. That said this lens new is over \$2000.00 U.S. However, I found a scratched one on Ebay for \$300.00.
A male alate or the winged reproductive form of the normally wingless ant group. The species is currently unknown, but we have it sent off to someone for identification.
A male alate or the winged reproductive form of the normally wingless ant group. The species is currently unknown, but we have it sent off to someone for identification.
A bee that has not been seen in Maryland for over 100 years. Protandrena abdominalis. And...still has not been seen in Maryland for 100 years. This specimen actually came from Texas where I was visiting my kin (but not so secretly also collecting bees).
A bee that has not been seen in Maryland for over 100 years. Protandrena abdominalis. And...still has not been seen in Maryland for 100 years. This specimen actually came from Texas where I was visiting my kin (but not so secretly also collecting bees).
This little red bee was collected on spotted beebalm. It seems to be the only species of plant, with the possibility of some close relatives being involved, that this bee finds worthy of collecting pollen from. If you Google images of spotted beebalm you'll see that it is quite the complicated and rather ornate flowering plant.
This little red bee was collected on spotted beebalm. It seems to be the only species of plant, with the possibility of some close relatives being involved, that this bee finds worthy of collecting pollen from. If you Google images of spotted beebalm you'll see that it is quite the complicated and rather ornate flowering plant.
This little red bee was collected on spotted beebalm. It seems to be the only species of plant, with the possibility of some close relatives being involved, that this bee finds worthy of collecting pollen from. If you Google images of spotted beebalm you'll see that it is quite the complicated and rather ornate flowering plant.
This little red bee was collected on spotted beebalm. It seems to be the only species of plant, with the possibility of some close relatives being involved, that this bee finds worthy of collecting pollen from. If you Google images of spotted beebalm you'll see that it is quite the complicated and rather ornate flowering plant.
A bee that has not been seen in Maryland for over 100 years. Protandrena abdominalis. And...still has not been seen in Maryland for 100 years. This specimen actually came from Texas where I was visiting my kin (but not so secretly also collecting bees).
A bee that has not been seen in Maryland for over 100 years. Protandrena abdominalis. And...still has not been seen in Maryland for 100 years. This specimen actually came from Texas where I was visiting my kin (but not so secretly also collecting bees).
This little red bee was collected on spotted beebalm. It seems to be the only species of plant, with the possibility of some close relatives being involved, that this bee finds worthy of collecting pollen from. If you Google images of spotted beebalm you'll see that it is quite the complicated and rather ornate flowering plant.
This little red bee was collected on spotted beebalm. It seems to be the only species of plant, with the possibility of some close relatives being involved, that this bee finds worthy of collecting pollen from. If you Google images of spotted beebalm you'll see that it is quite the complicated and rather ornate flowering plant.
A bee that has not been seen in Maryland for over 100 years. Protandrena abdominalis. And...still has not been seen in Maryland for 100 years. This specimen actually came from Texas where I was visiting my kin (but not so secretly also collecting bees).
A bee that has not been seen in Maryland for over 100 years. Protandrena abdominalis. And...still has not been seen in Maryland for 100 years. This specimen actually came from Texas where I was visiting my kin (but not so secretly also collecting bees).
Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange.
Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange.
Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange.
Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange.
Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange.
Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange.
One of the best bee plants...big, tall, and simply by being a tree, voluminous in pollen and nectar resources. Black Cherry. Prunus serotina. Specimen and plants by Helen Lowe Metzman.
One of the best bee plants...big, tall, and simply by being a tree, voluminous in pollen and nectar resources. Black Cherry. Prunus serotina. Specimen and plants by Helen Lowe Metzman.
One of the best bee plants...big, tall, and simply by being a tree, voluminous in pollen and nectar resources. Black Cherry. Prunus serotina. Specimen and plants by Helen Lowe Metzman.
One of the best bee plants...big, tall, and simply by being a tree, voluminous in pollen and nectar resources. Black Cherry. Prunus serotina. Specimen and plants by Helen Lowe Metzman.
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.