Andrena wilmattae, f, right, Pennington Co., SD
Andrena wilmattae, f, right, Pennington Co., SD
We process thousands of specimens a year. In general most species are a bit bedraggled, pollen, clumped hair, legs/antennae askew that sort of thing. Particularly Andrena, which seem more prone to such things, perhaps becuase they are just a touch more delicate. So, it is nice to see a beautiful specimen like this Andrena wilmattae from Badlands National Park. A lovely presentation and our photographer, Anders Croft did a lovely job laying this specimen out. A joint venture I would say.
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde. Original public domain image from Flickr