Images

Ah, the dancing curves of Corydalis flavula. A small part of the glory of spring in the Mid-Atlantic states. Picture and specimen from Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

Corynura species. Species is unknown...from Southern Chile captured while on an expedition with Laurence Packer. Photography by Anders Croft.

GENITALIA! In this case the beautiful genitalia of Cosmorrhyncha one of the bitty moths in the family Tortricidae. Thanks to John W. Brown for supplying the slide. See previous picture for more details. For some reason this makes me think of biker gang insignia....

This is a shot of a Tortricid Moth from the Cosmorrhyncha genus ... the genitalia and perhaps the abdomen, though this is not absolutely clear to me. The slide was given to me by John W. Brown from the natural history Museum at the Smithsonian as an experiment to see if I could get a good shot of a slide mounted specimen.

Cotesia congregata - a little parasite of caterpillars. This one is from Karen Kester's lab in Richmond where she and her gradstudents raise them and discover things about the host (Sphinx moths I believe) parasite relationship. Photo by Greta Forbes.

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.

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.

Isn't this a boss looking bee? This is Dianthidium singulare. One of the largest Dianthidiums around. Check out the winged plates near the collar of the bee and the shield like tegula that covers the front wing's insertion point into the body. Such a dramatic species.

Isn't this a boss looking bee? This is Dianthidium singulare. One of the largest Dianthidiums around. Check out the winged plates near the collar of the bee and the shield like tegula that covers the front wing's insertion point into the body. Such a dramatic species.

Isn't this a boss looking bee? This is Dianthidium singulare. One of the largest Dianthidiums around. Check out the winged plates near the collar of the bee and the shield like tegula that covers the front wing's insertion point into the body. Such a dramatic species.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Dianthidium simile, female, Michigan, July 2011, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Dianthidium simile, female, Michigan, July 2011, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Dianthidium simile, female, Michigan, July 2011, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

South Dakota, Badlands national Park

South Dakota, Badlands national Park

Dutchman's Breeches. Just another wild variant in the dance of plant with bee. Wouldn't you like to see an evolutionary time lapse of the development of this flower as it couples in just the right way with bumblebees; one rewarded with an exchange of gametes and the other with food for it young, whilst leaving the other pollinators to lean against the gym wall.