Images

An Experiment. The B. tinctoria seeds came from a the old Patuxent Food Habits collection. We have an entire cabinet filled with seeds collected from the teens to the 30's from around the U.S. Orphaned now, I am taking pictures so they have at least one final use.

Ah, something in the pea family. This is Baptisia tinctoria...horseflyweed. If I find a patch of this relatively uncommon plant I always spend some time seeing what bees are active around it. In particularly I am looking for Anthidiellums and other members of Megachilidae. Definitely something to plant in your yard if you can get hold of them.

Serapista species , Unknown Pillow Bee, collected in South Africa by Laurence PackerThe zebra-like markings on this bee are diagnostic, the white stripes are formed from blade like brilliant white hairs that are particularly beautiful when viewed under high magnification. This genus forms a small group of four species found only in Africa.

Serapista species , Unknown Pillow Bee, collected in South Africa by Laurence PackerThe zebra-like markings on this bee are diagnostic, the white stripes are formed from blade like brilliant white hairs that are particularly beautiful when viewed under high magnification. This genus forms a small group of four species found only in Africa.

Ctenoplectra, Unknown Blue-tailed Oil Mopping Bee, collected in Thailand by the Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological ResearchAnother Oil Mopping Bee, this an Asian one from Thailand rather than from Africa . Here is a good shot of the large scraper or comb this female has on her hind tibia.

An odd and rare record of an Anthidium that normally occurs far to west in the dry part of the northwestern Great Plains, in this case it showed up on Isle Royale National Park where other northern prairie species also reside.

Just a quick upload of an Anthidium utahense. There should be a couple more pictures coming. This from Claire Kremen's work in California. Photo by Erick Hernandez.

A small cute bee from Costa Rica. Collected by Tim Mcmahon on one of his several bee trips to that country. I can't scrounge up much about these hole nesters from Central and South America, but likely there are Brazilian papers out on the topic. I particularly like the prep and form of this specimen, pure in its positioning of wings and body.

A small cute bee from Costa Rica. Collected by Tim Mcmahon on one of his several bee trips to that country. I can't scrounge up much about these hole nesters from Central and South America, but likely there are Brazilian papers out on the topic.

A small cute bee from Costa Rica. Collected by Tim Mcmahon on one of his several bee trips to that country. I can't scrounge up much about these hole nesters from Central and South America, but likely there are Brazilian papers out on the topic.

Male, this fun species nests in the walls of my adobe walled house where it aggregates in large numbers where the adobe is thickest. They create small dropping tunnels at that project out from wall ...function unknown.

Male, this fun species nests in the walls of my adobe walled house where it aggregates in large numbers where the adobe is thickest. They create small dropping tunnels at that project out from wall ...function unknown.

Male, this fun species nests in the walls of my adobe walled house where it aggregates in large numbers where the adobe is thickest. They create small dropping tunnels at that project out from wall ...function unknown.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Anthophora bomboides. Fuzzy . Faking the bumble bee look to fool birds into thinking they can sting like a bumble bee. Here is one from San Juan Island in Washington State. This species occurs throughout the continent....but....its look differs across that huge geographic range. Are they more than one species or not? Does anyone care? You?