Description: A hind foot of a Melissodes trinodis, but..what is on the end of that foot? I will tell you, Pilgrim, those are pollinia from Common Milkweed. Here are 3 paired sets, having glued themselves to the bee when it accidentally stuck its foot in one the 5-compartmented florets that comprise a milkweed flower. These pollinia are sacks filled with pollen that is of no use to the bee, but the plant hopes that they will be transplanted to another flower and effect the continuation of the Common Milkweed race. An odd system, restricted to milkweeds and the scheming's of the Orchids tribe 13:47, 9 August 2014 (UTC)13:47, 9 August 2014 (UTC){{{{{{0}}}}}}13:47, 9 August 2014 (UTC)13:47, 9 August 2014 (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 The murmuring of bees has ceased; But murmuring of some Posterior, prophetic, Has simultaneous come,-- The lower metres of the year, When nature's laugh is done,-- The Revelations of the book Whose Genesis is June. -Emily Dickinson Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen: 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. Date: 10 July 2014, 17:30. Source:
Melissodes trinodus, f, foot, polynia of milkweek, aa co, md_2014-07-09-19.33.21 ZS PMax. Author:
USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA.
