Laura Russo collected these lovely squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa) near State College, Pennsylvania. Aptly named, this bee only feeds its young on the pollen of Cucurbita (pumpkins, squash, gourds and the like). This genus is native to the hemisphere....peaking in numbers in the Mexican highlands, but do not occur naturally in Pennsylvania (too cold). However because we keep planting pumpkins and squash each year, our squash bee friends are sustained, probably since Indians brought them into the area.

Which is a good thing since they are very effective pollinators given that they are out at dawn (when almost no other bees are out) and active until squash plants close their blooms around 9 a.m. They are tight like ticks with Curcubits.


~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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


Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
" Ode on a Grecian Urn"
John Keats


You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:

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

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:
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

Tags:   zerene stacker stackshot geological survey united states geological survey department of the interior droege biml bee inventory and monitoring laboratory bug bugs canon close-up macro insect patuxent wildlife research center pwrc usgs dofstacking stacking canon mpe65 taxonomy:binomial=peponapis pruinosa animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee state college squash pumpkin squash bee orange curcurbita laura russo

© All Rights Reserved

Laura Russo collected these lovely squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa) near State College, Pennsylvania. Aptly named, this bee only feeds its young on the pollen of Cucurbita (pumpkins, squash, gourds and the like). This genus is native to the hemisphere....peaking in numbers in the Mexican highlands, but do not occur naturally in Pennsylvania (too cold). However because we keep planting pumpkins and squash each year, our squash bee friends are sustained, probably since Indians brought them into the area.

Which is a good thing since they are very effective pollinators given that they are out at dawn (when almost no other bees are out) and active until squash plants close their blooms around 9 a.m. They are tight like ticks with Curcubits.


~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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


Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
" Ode on a Grecian Urn"
John Keats


You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:

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

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:
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

Tags:   zerene stacker stackshot geological survey united states geological survey department of the interior droege biml bee inventory and monitoring laboratory bug bugs canon close-up macro insect patuxent wildlife research center pwrc usgs dofstacking stacking canon mpe65 taxonomy:binomial=peponapis pruinosa animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee state college squash pumpkin squash bee orange curcurbita laura russo

© All Rights Reserved

Laura Russo collected these lovely squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa) near State College, Pennsylvania. Aptly named, this bee only feeds its young on the pollen of Cucurbita (pumpkins, squash, gourds and the like). This genus is native to the hemisphere....peaking in numbers in the Mexican highlands, but do not occur naturally in Pennsylvania (too cold). However because we keep planting pumpkins and squash each year, our squash bee friends are sustained, probably since Indians brought them into the area.

Which is a good thing since they are very effective pollinators given that they are out at dawn (when almost no other bees are out) and active until squash plants close their blooms around 9 a.m. They are tight like ticks with Curcubits.


~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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


Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
" Ode on a Grecian Urn"
John Keats


You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:

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

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:
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

Tags:   zerene stacker stackshot geological survey united states geological survey department of the interior droege biml bee inventory and monitoring laboratory bug bugs canon close-up macro insect patuxent wildlife research center pwrc usgs dofstacking stacking canon mpe65 taxonomy:binomial=peponapis pruinosa animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee state college squash pumpkin squash bee orange curcurbita laura russo

© All Rights Reserved

Laura Russo collected these lovely squash bees (Peponapis pruinosa) near State College, Pennsylvania. Aptly named, this bee only feeds its young on the pollen of Cucurbita (pumpkins, squash, gourds and the like). This genus is native to the hemisphere....peaking in numbers in the Mexican highlands, but do not occur naturally in Pennsylvania (too cold). However because we keep planting pumpkins and squash each year, our squash bee friends are sustained, probably since Indians brought them into the area.

Which is a good thing since they are very effective pollinators given that they are out at dawn (when almost no other bees are out) and active until squash plants close their blooms around 9 a.m. They are tight like ticks with Curcubits.


~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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


Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
" Ode on a Grecian Urn"
John Keats


You can also follow us on Instagram - account = USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:

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

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:
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

Tags:   zerene stacker stackshot geological survey united states geological survey department of the interior droege biml bee inventory and monitoring laboratory bug bugs canon close-up macro insect patuxent wildlife research center pwrc usgs dofstacking stacking canon mpe65 taxonomy:binomial=peponapis pruinosa animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee state college squash pumpkin squash bee orange curcurbita laura russo

© All Rights Reserved