Lasioglossum microlepoides, F, Back, AZ, Pima County

From Organ Pipe National Monument comes the small and very common western Lasioglossum microlepoides. Just like the seemingly endless supply of these small Halictid bees, it is slightly metallic and and has a strongly bent basal vein. One could spent a couple lives just figuring out the different species. Photography 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. USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.