without a trace of modesty.
A very unusual casing...
has been constructed by bees and consists of a hard shell of sand grains cemented together by a waxy substance. I haven’t been very successful finding anything in the literature about this, and I will keep a watchful eye, especially next spring.
UPDATE: Thanks to Dr. Harlan Gough for suggesting that this sandy cell has been constructed by a bee belonging to genus Dianthidium, or pebble bees.
Subterranean bee hive under construction...
by the engineering globe mallow bee (Diadasia diminuta) that collects pollen from the globemallow flower that is presently at peak bloom in Castle Valley. It’s quite fascinating to watch their activities, if one has the time and patience.
It's a bee's world...
in the blossoming cacti, and they sure are busy.
Like an array of miniature sundials...
casting long shadows late in the day, the ground-digging and turret-building bees are back at work in Castle Valley. I’ll follow up with some proper photography of the bees when they’re in action the next few days.
Covered with pollen particles...
a bee emerges from a prickly pear cactus blossom in the rock garden. On to the next flower, a pollinator’s work is never done.
NOTE: This image was shot with a handheld 400 mm telephoto lens from a standing position. Nearly as good as a tripod-mounted macro lens close to the subject.
The now-blossoming globemallow...
in Castle Valley is attracting the tiny pollinating bees and I’m on the lookout for their ground-dwelling hives.
Tiny critters in the wilderness...
of western Montana. It’s hunting season and all the big animals are in hiding so I was shooting small game.
Immature black widow spider...
tending to its web this morning.
The hefty leaf-footed bug...
has thick thighs used to fight other males. Here’s one on a yucca plant defending its kingdom.
Unusual window clinger...
Butterflies are in the air...
Black widow safari...
last night yields this lovely lady wrapping up a small morsel. There is no mistaking these fascinating creatures with the signature red hourglass on the abdomen. Sometimes I feed them by tossing a cricket into their ratty, but strong, webs!
This lowly darkling beetle...
is just one of an estimated 20,000 species belonging to the family Tenebrionidae.
Brightly colored velvet ants...
are actually wasps. Males look like true wasps but lack a stinger, while the females (seen here) are flightless and one should be wary when handling them as they have a painful sting.