Megachile petulans, f, left side, Charleston Co., SC
Leaf cutters never seem to end. Here is Megachile petulans, southernish in distribution and with a lovely display of the complicated tongue architecture bees have. Tongue? This structure is so far removed from our tongues it is ridiculous. Really, think of bees and insects as coming from a different planet. How odd to have these mini aliens, so small, so marvelous in how they are put together at such a miniature level, the swiss watch and silicon chip have nothing on these exquisite beings.....or are they fairies? Collected by Mimi Jenkins outside of Charleston in watermelon fields. No bee, no watermelon baby.
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. Original public domain image from Flickr