Sexy Andrena. Yes, the normally black Andrena does have some sexy species. Here is one of my favorites. Andrena prunorum jacketed in amber with ribbing of white fur...or something like that. A common western species that leaked just enough out of the West to show up in Badlands National Park where we were studying the bee fauna of the Park. Photo by Kelly Graninger. Note the milkweek pollinia on the feet and tongue. 14:12, 24 December 2018 (UTC)14:12, 24 December 2018 (UTC){{{{{{0}}}}}}14:12, 24 December 2018 (UTC)14:12, 24 December 2018 (UTC)

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

Beauty is nature's fact.

   - Emily Dickinson

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: <a href="http://www.extreme-macro.co.uk" rel="nofollow">www.extreme-macro.co.uk/</a>

Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/0760347387/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488851025&sr=8-1&keywords=bees+up+close" rel="nofollow">www.amazon.com/Bees-Up-Close-Pollinators-Around-World/dp/...</a>

Free Field Guide to Bee Genera of Maryland: <a href="http://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf" rel="nofollow">bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf</a>

Basic USGSBIML set up: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY</a>

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. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4</a>

Bees of Maryland Organized by Taxa with information on each Genus <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections">www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml/collections</a>

PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up: ftp://ftpext.usgs.gov/pub/er/md/laurel/Droege/How%20to%20Take%20MacroPhotographs%20of%20Insects%20BIML%20Lab2.pdf

Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques: <a href="https://plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo" rel="nofollow">plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU" rel="nofollow">www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU</a>

Excellent Technical Form on Stacking: <a href="http://www.photomacrography.net/" rel="nofollow">www.photomacrography.net/</a>

Contact information: Sam Droege sdroege@usgs.gov