Images

Dianthidium concinnum, Male, Pennington County, South Dakota

South Carolina, carolina sandhills national wildlife refuge

South Carolina, carolina sandhills national wildlife refuge

South Carolina, carolina sandhills national wildlife refuge

South Dakota, Badlands national Park

Dianthidium curvatum, how cool is this bee? Specimens collected here from Sabrie Breland in Baker County in Georgia, we should all live in such a bee rich location. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Dianthidium curvatum, how cool is this bee? Specimens collected here from Sabrie Breland in Baker County in Georgia, we should all live in such a bee rich location. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Who doesn't like the look of this bee? Another shot of specimen from southern Georgia collected by Sabrie Breland. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

South Dakota, Badlands national Park

South Dakota, Badlands national Park

An uncommon dark Dianthidium from Florida. This one captured on the Atlantic coast in Canaveral National Seashore, Photographed by Brooke AlexanderCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

An uncommon dark Dianthidium from Florida. This one captured on the Atlantic coast in Canaveral National Seashore, Photographed by Brooke AlexanderCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

An uncommon dark Dianthidium from Florida. This one captured on the Atlantic coast in Canaveral National Seashore, Photographed by Brooke AlexanderCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

A pollen laden Dianthidium parkeri from Cochise County, Arizona collected by Don Harvey. This genus is associated with drylands. A few occur in the East, but are almost entirely restricted to dry sandy soil habitats. Features here to look at, bee-wise, are the very large wing covers and the winged projections at the corners of the thorax behind the head.

Sphecodes tainoi captured in agriculture areas of Puerto Rico by Sara Prado. This is a new island record, previously there were no known records for Sphecodes for the island.Notice the lovely WIPs (Wing Interference Patterns)

Well, Sphecodes is a tough group to identify and we shouldn't have photographed it without getting a species ID, but ...it is a lovely to look at bee. Sierra Williams took the picture.

Sphecodes species, female

Sphecodes species, female

Lindera benzoin - The blossom of the spicebush shrub, common in the bottomlands in the region. Scratching the stem releases wonderful all spice similar smells. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Tiny Oxyopes spider (thanks Bob Kallal for id) only resolvable using a 10x microscope objective attached to a 200mm lens....so much going on amidst those blades of long grass in the tiny pastures we allow to grow, where complicated comings and goings occur in such grand webs of complexity that mowing becomes not just conformity...but slaughter.

Two VERY SMALL spiders. Sadly I know little about spiders so can't tell you the species / group other a number that it is not. This Spider was only about 4mm. Captured outside of my lab in Beltsville, MD. Once I started looking I realized...there are billions of such spiders (tiny ones that is) in an average field.