Beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder. The people over at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab do research on the native bee populations in the greater United States to get a better picture of how these bees interact with their natural environment. Speaking of pictures, they take multiple macro shots and stitch them together to create a complete and up-close view of the amazing insect. Lab chief Sam Droege makes their large catalogue of scientific photos freely available on Flickr.
Have a look at some of the lab’s stunning macro bee and wasp photos after the jump.
Euglossa dilemma
Chrysochus auratus
Philanthus gibbosus
Xylocopa mordax
Megachile lanata
Chrysidid Wasp
Dianthidium curvatum
Bombus huntii
Augochloropsis anonyma
Augochloropsis metallica
Many more photos can be found on the lab’s Flickr page.
[via Slate]