Hylaeus fedorica, female, Delaware, back_2020-12-05-17.20.08 ZS PMax UDR

Description:

Plain Bee. Here is a new record for a rare bee. Hylaeus fedorica. First time found in Delaware (good job Matt Sarver). Not a super sexy bee, to our eyes. Small (that is a little paper point it is sitting on). If you blow up its head (so to speak) you will see it is nicely and uniformly patterned, with a couple of small stripes of pale adornment (really, why does this bee bother with these small lines? Interesting to think about before you binge watching on your couch tonight. All the females have it). Most of the records for this species appear to be old (collected by the great bee hunters of the past), but the species is starting to show up again as people collect and study bees once more. So, is it really rare? What does it do? Where does it live? Nesting? Special flowers? Role in the environment? Political party? I have to say I am a little irritated that Matt got a record for Delaware before we got one for Maryland. Photo by Elizabeth Panner. ~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{0}}}}}}~~~~~~~~~~ All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish. 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 We Are Made One with What We Touch and See We are resolved into the supreme air, We are made one with what we touch and see, With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair, With our young lives each spring impassioned tree Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change. - Oscar Wilde You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen: Best over all technical resource for photo stacking: www.extreme-macro.co.uk/ Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World: www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/... Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Maryland: bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf Basic USGSBIML set up: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY 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. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4 Bees of Maryland Organized by Taxa with information on each Genus www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up: Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques: plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo or www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU Excellent Technical Form on Stacking: www.photomacrography.net/ Contact information: Sam Droege sdroege@usgs.gov 301 497 5840