The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
Images
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Acer%20rubrum%2C%20pistilate%20flr.%2C%203%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20Md%2C%20_2018-05-17-11.57.jpg?itok=V1T2_4Ul)
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Acer%20rubrum%2C%20pistillate%20flr.%202%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20MD%2C%20_2018-05-17-12.13.jpg?itok=Dp4NXTvv)
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Acer%20rubrum%2C%20pistillate%20flr.%205%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20Md%2C%20_2018-05-17-12.22.jpg?itok=DqPfZ2IR)
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
The red maple, Acer rubrum, often one of the most dominant trees in deciduous woods in the East. It blooms very early in the spring and provides pollen and nectar to the set of bees, and flower flies, that come out early.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Acmaeodera%20virgo%2C%20u%2C%20back%2C%20Kruger%20National%20Park%2C%20South%20Africa_2018-07-13-15.40.43%20ZS%20PMax%20UDR.jpg?itok=oh0RjtPC)
Another tree flower loving beetle from South Africa this one a buprestid, Acmaeodera virgo. Collected widely in bowl traps and in trees in Kruger National Park. Photo by Kelly Graninger.
Another tree flower loving beetle from South Africa this one a buprestid, Acmaeodera virgo. Collected widely in bowl traps and in trees in Kruger National Park. Photo by Kelly Graninger.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Acmaeodera%20virgo%2C%20u%2C%20back%2C%20Kruger%20National%20Park%2C%20South%20Africa_2018-07-13-15.40.jpg?itok=qL-2XGpB)
Beetles from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is the start of a series of pictures of insects that come to the flowers in Kruger. This is a project led by James Harrison from S.A. and Jonathan Mawdsley from the U.S. I was lucky enough to come along and do some bee collecting. Interesting system.
Beetles from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is the start of a series of pictures of insects that come to the flowers in Kruger. This is a project led by James Harrison from S.A. and Jonathan Mawdsley from the U.S. I was lucky enough to come along and do some bee collecting. Interesting system.
Acmaeodera ornata,
Black Cohosh, Actaea racemosa. An interesting flower of midsummer in forest openings. Seems to attract the odd bumble bee and Augochlora pura that linger in the shade. Collected and photographed by Helen Lowe Metzman.
Black Cohosh, Actaea racemosa. An interesting flower of midsummer in forest openings. Seems to attract the odd bumble bee and Augochlora pura that linger in the shade. Collected and photographed by Helen Lowe Metzman.
Nectaring on goldenrod and aster, Beltsville, Maryland. Thanks to Chris Thompson for the identification.
Nectaring on goldenrod and aster, Beltsville, Maryland. Thanks to Chris Thompson for the identification.
Bee/Yellow Jacket mimic! Nectaring on goldenrod and aster, Beltsville, Maryland. Thanks to Chris Thompson for the identifications.
Bee/Yellow Jacket mimic! Nectaring on goldenrod and aster, Beltsville, Maryland. Thanks to Chris Thompson for the identifications.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Aesculus%20glabra%2C%203%2C%20Ohio%20Buckeye%20flr.%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20Md%2C%20_2018-05-17-13.14.jpg?itok=AOo7CDKP)
Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. Buckeye's...one of the nice little acknowledged providers of pollen and nectar in forested environments. Specimen and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman.
Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. Buckeye's...one of the nice little acknowledged providers of pollen and nectar in forested environments. Specimen and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Aesculus%20glabra%2C%20Ohio%20Buckeye%20flr.%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20Md%2C%20_2018-05-17-13.22.jpg?itok=XZ-O1kX9)
Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. Buckeye's...one of the nice little acknowledged providers of pollen and nectar in forested environments. Specimen and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman.
Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. Buckeye's...one of the nice little acknowledged providers of pollen and nectar in forested environments. Specimen and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Aesculus%20glabra%2C%20Ohio%20Buckeye%20inflorescence%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20MD%2C%20HeLoMetz_2017-05-26-16.48.jpg?itok=L5kXm7pz)
Ohio Buckeye. Aesculus glabra. Nice open understory tree you see more towards the west in Maryland and the Eastern U.S. Attracts a variety of woodland loving bees...in particular Augochlora pura. A nice color match. Picture and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.
Ohio Buckeye. Aesculus glabra. Nice open understory tree you see more towards the west in Maryland and the Eastern U.S. Attracts a variety of woodland loving bees...in particular Augochlora pura. A nice color match. Picture and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Aesculus%20glabral%2C%202%2C%20Ohio%20Buckeye%20flr.%2C%20Howard%20County%2C%20Md%2C%20_2018-05-17-13.13.jpg?itok=Eh9IvVpn)
Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. Buckeye's...one of the nice little acknowledged providers of pollen and nectar in forested environments. Specimen and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman.
Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. Buckeye's...one of the nice little acknowledged providers of pollen and nectar in forested environments. Specimen and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/African%20wasp%2C%20f%2C%20back%2C%20Kruger%20National%20Park%2C%20South%20Africa%20Mpumalanga_2018-08-10-10.59.37%20ZS%20PMax%20UDR.jpg?itok=QgnrZlsW)
Lovely wasp from Kruger National Park. Again, not being a wasp person, I don't know the species. The group may be the sand wasp (Bembicini) . Photos by Anders Croft.
Lovely wasp from Kruger National Park. Again, not being a wasp person, I don't know the species. The group may be the sand wasp (Bembicini) . Photos by Anders Croft.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/African%20Wasp%2C%20f%2C%20face%2C%20Kruger%20National%20Park%2C%20South%20Africa%20Mpumalanga_2018-08-10-11.07.17%20ZS%20PMax%20UDR.jpg?itok=QG3jnIiy)
Lovely wasp from Kruger National Park. Again, not being a wasp person, I don't know the species. The group may be the sand wasp (Bembicini) . Photos by Anders Croft.
Lovely wasp from Kruger National Park. Again, not being a wasp person, I don't know the species. The group may be the sand wasp (Bembicini) . Photos by Anders Croft.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/African%20wasp%2C%20f%2C%20right%2C%20Kruger%20National%20Park%2C%20South%20Africa%20Mpumalanga_2018-08-10-11.17.07%20ZS%20PMax%20UDR.jpg?itok=s3TOESiC)
Lovely wasp from Kruger National Park. Again, not being a wasp person, I don't know the species. The group may be the sand wasp (Bembicini) . Photos by Anders Croft.
Lovely wasp from Kruger National Park. Again, not being a wasp person, I don't know the species. The group may be the sand wasp (Bembicini) . Photos by Anders Croft.
A series of pictures from Silas Bossert from the National Collection at the Smithsonian. They use their own hi res camera equipment, but prefer a light background. Here we have Afromelecta lieftincki, a nest parasite. While no one has confirmed what this species parasitizes, it is likely given its relatives, that it parasitizes Anthophora type bees.
A series of pictures from Silas Bossert from the National Collection at the Smithsonian. They use their own hi res camera equipment, but prefer a light background. Here we have Afromelecta lieftincki, a nest parasite. While no one has confirmed what this species parasitizes, it is likely given its relatives, that it parasitizes Anthophora type bees.
![close up of image](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/Agapostemon%20angelicus%2C%20M%2C%20back%2C%20Pennington%20County%2C%20SD_2012-11-13-10.34.38%20ZS%20PMax.jpg?itok=7vh8mFQ5)
Pennington County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park
Pennington County, South Dakota, Badlands National Park