Arizona poppy pollen on Protoxaea gloriosa. Yep, the fluorescent orange Kallstroemia grandiflora, has fluorescent orange pollen and this bee loves it and becomes also fluorescent orange. People harp on the fact that bees pollinate most of our high nutrient/vitamin foods, but if it weren't for bees (and their kin) we would also not have flowers with any color other than green. So, don't thank bees for food thank them for flowers. Then go out and plant native flowering plants in your acre of anti-bee lawn you mow each week and be glad you live on Earth and not Mars where you would be mowing dirt. Pictures taken by Kelly Graninger and Anders Croft. Orange bee collected by Tim McMahon on a recent trip to Cochise County, Arizona. 14:29, 30 September 2016 (UTC)14:29, 30 September 2016 (UTC){{{{{{0}}}}}}14:29, 30 September 2016 (UTC)14:29, 30 September 2016 (UTC)

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