Images

Bryce Canyon National Park....another of the multitudes of Lasioglossum species present in North America. Photograph by Brooke Alexander. 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.

Bryce Canyon National Park....another of the multitudes of Lasioglossum species present in North America

The glorious species richness and subtle complexity of a group of sweat bees. Lasioglossum abundipunctum (pictured here and collected in Fossil Butte, Wyoming) is one of what seems like an endless number of similar seeming bees. I have little doubt that on a per bee basis this group of bees dominates all other native bees, but to we ever really hear about them?

The glorious species richness and subtle complexity of a group of sweat bees. Lasioglossum abundipunctum (pictured here and collected in Fossil Butte, Wyoming) is one of what seems like an endless number of similar seeming bees. I have little doubt that on a per bee basis this group of bees dominates all other native bees, but to we ever really hear about them?

As we to document the many species of bees that exist in North America, And worldwide, we realize that quite a few of them look like the species, Lasioglossum abundipuntum. The reason is there are many different species of Lasioglossum and they all look about the same, with difficult characters that vary in subtle ways to torment those who have to identify them.

The glorious species richness and subtle complexity of a group of sweat bees. Lasioglossum abundipunctum (pictured here and collected in Fossil Butte, Wyoming) is one of what seems like an endless number of similar seeming bees. I have little doubt that on a per bee basis this group of bees dominates all other native bees, but to we ever really hear about them?

As we to document the many species of bees that exist in North America, And worldwide, we realize that quite a few of them look like the species, Lasioglossum abundipuntum. The reason is there are many different species of Lasioglossum and they all look about the same, with difficult characters that vary in subtle ways to torment those who have to identify them.

Cape Cod National Seashore....Lasioglossum accuminatum, one of the large black Lasioglossum speciesCanon 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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Cape Cod National Seashore....Lasioglossum accuminatum, one of the large black Lasioglossum speciesCanon 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, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Denny Johnson from Eau Claire County in Wisconsin provided this specimen. Another Lasioglossum and one that was until recently cleared up by Jason Gibbs involved in thousands of misidentifications...many by myself.

Denny Johnson from Eau Claire County in Wisconsin provided this specimen. Another Lasioglossum and one that was until recently cleared up by Jason Gibbs involved in thousands of misidentifications...many by myself.

A tricky to identify small sweat bee. Many are identified and there are decades of incorrect keys, murky specimen selection in collections, and even now that Jason Gibbs has provided good clear descriptions they still are so close to other species that ID is not trivial.

Dead Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, that sadly ran into the windows of a building in Washington D.C. while migrating.

Here is a Field Sparrow that lost its life running into a window at night in Washington D.C. during migration. This one picked up by the Lights out Washington group that counts birds that strike buildings at night in the relatively low buildings surrounding the Capitol and the Mall.

Beltsville, Maryland, 2012, Flavopermelia caperata

Experimental Shot: Daisy Fleabane dipped in Butterfly scales, close up it is wonderful to see all the sizes, shapes, and sheens, lots of hard geometry that makes me want to work more with scales.

Experimental Shot: Daisyfleabane dipped in Butterfly scales

Yellow-shafted Flicker - Died in downtown Washington D.C. in the fall or spring of 2012 from striking a building at night. Retrieved by the Lights out DC program

I heart Pickerelweed would read the bumper sticker on this bee as the female pictured here would only feed her babies pollen collected from the interior of marshes with blooming Pickerelweed. This one was collected as part of a survey of Indian Head Naval Base just south of Washington D.C.

Older and no so great shots (technically speaking) of Florilegus condignus. You can see tons of butterfly scales on this specimen from who knows what species were caught with it at the same time. You will find that Florilegus only collects pollen from pickerelweed (Pontedaria).

Older and no so great shots (technically speaking) of Florilegus condignus. You can see tons of butterfly scales on this specimen from who knows what species were caught with it at the same time. You will find that Florilegus only collects pollen from pickerelweed (Pontedaria).