I spent too much time today tidying around the edge of the wildlife pond – which does look great, I have to say, even though the process of getting it to that state has nearly done me in – and didn’t leave myself nearly enough time for just wandering about, enjoying the insect life in the garden. But I’m pleased with this portrait of a little Lasioglossum sweat bee, which is why it’s made top spot this evening over bigger, flashier creatures.
I’m especially pleased with the photo, I think, because in the flesh the tiny thing is only about 4mm long. Which is so small that when I first saw it on the honeysuckle I wasn’t even sure what it was: the distance glasses I was wearing got me as far as “probably a bee”, but by the time I’d moved close enough to have a chance of confirming that, I was too close to be able to focus on it. And I’d forgotten my macro binoculars (duh), and wasn’t carrying reading glasses either. So I had to step back and bring the Lazy Woman’s Macro into play, mentally tagging the insect’s position and then aiming 500mm of lens at the approximate spot, and seeing if I could track it down again via the viewfinder. The RF 100-500 is my all-time favourite lens for good reason, which is why it’s barely ever off the R5. For the avoidance of doubt though, after having made the spot and the identification, I did then manage to get in even closer and take this with the R7 and macro.
The Lasioglossum furrow bees are tricky to tell apart, especially the five small metallic species known as sweat bees, but Obsidentify is adamant that this one is Lasioglossum leucopus, the White-footed Furrow Bee. Personally I’m not fully convinced, and I rather doubt that the BWARS chaps will be either, but nothing ventured, nothing gained – so I’ll bang in the record with an ‘uncertain’ label against it, and see what reaction I get.
R: L2, C8, D10.
