I've had a lot of fun playing around with a shallower depth of field lately.  These are some unedited examples. Not sure it's something I'll stick with, but I really like the way it makes the backgrounds look.  What do you guys think? Featured are a male (first photo) and female (second and third photo) Pseudomacrotera turgiceps. These bees were super calm and very easy to photograph.  I've seen them, in large numbers, twice over the last few weeks visiting Smoketrees (Psorothamnus schotti). A big thank you goes to Zach Portman for the species ID and the information below. Pseudomacrotera was a subgenus of Perdita, but a recent publication raised it to its own genus.  They've been observed gathering pollen on Psorothamnus, Larrea, and Eucnides, which could mean they're more than one species that just look very similar.  The males are interesting because the head size varies so much, as they go from little blue-headed males all the way up to giant brown-headed males. #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #yourshotphotographer #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #macrothopy #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insectphotography #bee #insects #bug #natgeowild #insectsofinstagram #pollinator #conservationphotography #nikon #perdita #pseudomacrotera #pseudomacroteraturgiceps #smokebush #insidenatgeo

Over the weekend, I found a lot of Calliopsis puellae nesting on a dirt road.  I think they could win the award for the best disguised burrow entrance.  Here's a female exiting her burrow. #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insidenatgeo #Calliopsis #calliopsispuellae #nomadopsis #beesip #conservation

I had a wonderful time yesterday exploring the Topatopa Mountains with @condors_rest Saw this cool little Melecta bee while there and spent last night reading up on them. Before yesterday I though all cuckoo bees in the tribe Melectini behaved the same. The cuckoo bee lays an egg in their host bee's burrow and tries to escape before the host bee catches them. Their egg then hatches and consumes the host bee's egg or larva along with the provisioned pollen. Melecta separa, who is a parasite of Anthophora edwardsii bees, does things a bit differently. To describe what's happening in the video here's the Abstract from, "Ecology and Behavior of Melecta separata callura (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae)" by Robbin Thorp, "Melecta separata callura... behaves similarly to its European congeners, but differently from other North American parasitic melectine and nomadine bees. Unique features include: digging through the soil plug of the completed host burrow; opening a small hole in the cap of the cell; ovipositing through this opening and attaching its egg to the roof or upper cell wall; resealing the cell; and replugging the host burrow." #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #macrothopy #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insectphotography #bee #insects #bug #natgeowild #insectsofinstagram #pollinator #conservationphotography #nikon #melectaseparatacallura #melecta #anthophora #anthophoraedwardsii #insidenatgeo

I am excited to announce that I have received a grant from @insidenatgeo ! As a #NatGeoExplorer I will be creating a book that features original photographs and documents rare native bees throughout California. Learn more about my work in the link in my bio. Photo credit: @bvanderbrug

This is a female Hesperapis mentzeliae. H. mentzeliae is an undescribed species from an unpublished manuscript. They are Mentzelia pollen specialists. Before yesterday I didn't realize I hadn't seen a Hesperapis collecting pollen. In the video, you can see she's going into the center of the Mentzelia involucrata (Sand Blazingstar) to temporarily collect pollen on her chest. After she leaves the center of the flower she goes into a tripod stance, removes the pollen from her chest, and moistens it with her mouth parts before transferring the pollen to her hind legs. I thought this was something only Panurginae bees like Perdita and Calliopsis do. Not sure how many Hesperapis do this, but cool to observe. #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #yourshotphotographer #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #macrothopy #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insectphotography #bee #insects #bug #natgeowild #insectsofinstagram #pollinator #conservationphotography #nikon #hesperapis #hesperapismentzeliae #sandblazingstar #mentzelia

My Kickstarter campaign for Native Bees of the Western United States Flashcards is now LIVE! The link to the campaign is in my Bio! During the first 48 hours of my campaign, you'll have access to a special 15% discount on one, two, or five decks. This deck of flashcards features 40 of the most commonly encountered native bees species in the Western United States. The purpose of this deck is to assist in understanding and appreciating these wonderful creatures. You will learn scientific and common names, taxonomy, habitat information, features that will help you learn to ID, and more all in one place. These flashcards provide easy access to information useful whether you are just starting or have years of knowledge. Thank you for in advance! #kickstarter #beesip #nativebees #flashcards

Xeralictus is a bee genus with only two species. I planned to spend two days in Riverside and San Diego County desert looking for both species, but I found them within my first six hours. So I decided to head home. Here is one of the two, a Bicuspidaria Blazingstar-Shortface (Xeralictus bicuspidate). He has a symbiotic relationship with the ghost flower (Mohavea confertiflora). Here are some words from Doug Yanega about this cool symbiotic relationship, "It has long been recognized that the Mohavea confertiflora is a mimic of the flower Mentzelia involucrata, as some of the bees that visit the Mentzelia for pollen will also visit the Mohavea, where they cannot collect pollen. Mimicry of the Mohavea flower involves tricking male Xeralictus into thinking there are females in the flowers. An empty Mentzelia flower is entirely yellow, and patrolling male Xeralictus fly right past them. However, when a female Xeralictus visits the flower, she buries her head in the flower, leaving only the tip of her abdomen exposed amidst the anthers. Patrolling males pounce on females while they're in this vulnerable position and attempt to mate. The Mohavea flowers have a dark central marking that is almost the exact size and color of a female Xeralictus abdomen (third photo). A patrolling male will dive into the flower, but instead of him encountering a female as he obviously expects, the trap-like flower deposits a yellow stripe of pollen on the top of his thorax, where he cannot remove it (second photo). The pollen is carried to the next Mohavea flower, so the plant achieves pollination without sacrificing any nectar or pollen to the bees." #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #yourshotphotographer #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #macrothopy #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insectphotography #bee #insects #bug #natgeowild #insectsofinstagram #pollinator #conservationphotography #nikon #xeralictus #xeralictusbicuspidariae #ghostflower #mohaveaconfertiflora

I want to thank all of the new people who've decided to follow me. I really appreciate you being here! It's been a crazy few months meeting new people, traveling, and wonderful opportunities. I can't wait to share them as they come to fruition. Some of you might be wondering why I'm not positing. I usually take a large break from November to March because there aren't a lot of native bees flying around. Well, I saw my first native bee of the season on Wednesday, so I'm back. This is a male Anthophora neglecta (first photo) who was nectaring on bladderpod at Red Rock in the Mojave Desert. As far as I'm aware, this isn't a commonly seen bee. I originally thought he was an early Habropoda tristissima (second photo); these bees look very similar. Especially when they're flying around nonstop. I take ID photos even when I think I'm sure I know what I'm looking at. Good thing I did because the wing venation confirmed he's an Anthophora. Anthophora and Habropoda can be difficult to tell apart, so a good photo of the veins in the wings will differentiate them. Thanks, Michael Orr, for the species ID. #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #yourshotphotographer #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #macrothopy #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insectphotography #bee #insects #bug #natgeowild #insectsofinstagram #pollinator #conservationphotography #nikon #anthophoraneglecta #anthophora #bladderpod #redrock

To help share in the understanding and appreciation of native bees I’ve created these flashcards. 40 of the most common native bees species in the Western United States are featured.  This has been a passion project of mine since 2019, and I'm happy it's so close to becoming a reality. I'm launching the Kickstarter in March 2023. If you'd like to receive a notification when the project goes live, visit the link in my bio. #nativebees #naturephotography #nature #beesip #bees #kickstarter #flashcards #entomology #melittology #insects #natgeo

This is a very rare bee called a Melissodes nigracauda, she's visiting Ericamerica. I thought she might have been a VERY off-season Habropoda tristissma at first. But when I looked at the photos, in my camera, her blue eyes and head shape just screamed Melissodes. There isn't a lot known about this bee, but they are thought to be an Asteraceae specialist and are only present in California and Baja. I went to this location a couple of times to find males but didn't have any luck. If you're wondering, under all that pollen, she has dark scopal hair. According to Karen Wright, "There are only a few specimens in collections which is why we don’t have much information on them. Also, there aren't many records..." Thanks, Karen, for the species ID. __________________________ #cygnustechdiffuser #insect #macrophotography #yourshotphotographer #macrogrammers #natgeo #macro #snagnation #entomology #macrothopy #nativebees #bees #pollinators #insectphotography #macromood #flowers #savethebees #insectphotography #bee #insects #bug #natgeowild #insectsofinstagram #pollinator #conservationphotography #nikon #longhornedbee #ericameria #melissodes #melissodesnigracauda