Kruger Park! South Africa! This is the first specimen we have put up from our recent trip to survey bees in Kruger. At this point I am incompetent to tell the species apart (there are no field guides to bees Citizen), but I can tell you this is a Megachile in what appears to be the subgenus Eutricharaea. This group can be fairly "weedy" showing up in urban / disturbed area with some members forming a common set of species that have invaded continents around the world. In any case, this species is almost certainly native to the region and our hope is that with time we can put species names on such things. We will likely take a little DNA from them too. About 2/3rds the size of a honey bee.
~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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:

Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World
www.qbookshop.com/products/216627/9780760347386/Bees.html...

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:genus=megachile animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee south africa africa kruger national Park collection

© All Rights Reserved

Kruger Park! South Africa! This is the first specimen we have put up from our recent trip to survey bees in Kruger. At this point I am incompetent to tell the species apart (there are no field guides to bees Citizen), but I can tell you this is a Megachile in what appears to be the subgenus Eutricharaea. This group can be fairly "weedy" showing up in urban / disturbed area with some members forming a common set of species that have invaded continents around the world. In any case, this species is almost certainly native to the region and our hope is that with time we can put species names on such things. We will likely take a little DNA from them too. About 2/3rds the size of a honey bee.
~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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:

Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World
www.qbookshop.com/products/216627/9780760347386/Bees.html...

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:genus=megachile animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee south africa africa kruger national Park collection

© All Rights Reserved

Kruger Park! South Africa! This is the first specimen we have put up from our recent trip to survey bees in Kruger. At this point I am incompetent to tell the species apart (there are no field guides to bees Citizen), but I can tell you this is a Megachile in what appears to be the subgenus Eutricharaea. This group can be fairly "weedy" showing up in urban / disturbed area with some members forming a common set of species that have invaded continents around the world. In any case, this species is almost certainly native to the region and our hope is that with time we can put species names on such things. We will likely take a little DNA from them too. About 2/3rds the size of a honey bee.
~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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:

Art Photo Book: Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World
www.qbookshop.com/products/216627/9780760347386/Bees.html...

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:genus=megachile animals animal bee bees apoidea hymenoptera pollinator nativebee south africa africa kruger national Park collection

© All Rights Reserved

Beetles from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is the start of a series of pictures of insects that come to the flowers in Kruger. This is a project led by James Harrison from S.A. and Jonathan Mawdsley from the U.S. I was lucky enough to come along and do some bee collecting. Interesting system. When we were there it was very droughty, only moderate tree bloom and very little herbaceous bloom. Trees are pollinated to a great extent by beetles with bees being what appeared to be not that prominent. Here is a selection of some of the lovely beetles we found. Identifications by Jonathan Mawdsley. Pictures by Kelly Graninger or Anders Croft.
~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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 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:www.extreme-macro.co.uk/

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:
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 entomologist canon mpe65 beetle beetles south africa kruger national park kruger

© All Rights Reserved

Beetles from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is the start of a series of pictures of insects that come to the flowers in Kruger. This is a project led by James Harrison from S.A. and Jonathan Mawdsley from the U.S. I was lucky enough to come along and do some bee collecting. Interesting system. When we were there it was very droughty, only moderate tree bloom and very little herbaceous bloom. Trees are pollinated to a great extent by beetles with bees being what appeared to be not that prominent. Here is a selection of some of the lovely beetles we found. Identifications by Jonathan Mawdsley. Pictures by Kelly Graninger or Anders Croft.
~~~~~~~~~~{{{{{{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 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:www.extreme-macro.co.uk/

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:
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 entomologist canon mpe65 beetle beetles south africa kruger national park kruger taxonomy:genus=Anthaxia green

© All Rights Reserved