Buzzworthy Reading

Sam Droege, a wildlife biologist at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, started out photographing apian subjects for purely scientific purposes—his goal was to identify and inventory all the bee species in North America. But the result, mesmerizing detailed close-ups that Droege posts to Flickr, has elevated bee portraiture to an art form and attracted an audience far beyond the entomology set.

Now, Droege and York University biology professor Laurence Packer have compiled some of these stunning images, along with detailed descriptions of more than 100 species, into Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World.

This book, however, is just a teaser of what’s out there; we have more than 20,000 species of bees to thank for pollinating wild plants and cultivated crops worldwide. Now that’s definitely worth a closer look.

Photo of Euglossa spp. by Sam Droege, courtesy of Voyageur Press

Photo of Melanempis scoliiformes by Sam Droege, courtesy of Voyageur Press

Photo of Exaerete frontalis by Sam Droege, courtesy of Voyageur Press

Photo of Caenonomada unicalcarata by Sam Droege, courtesy of Voyageur Press

onEarth provides reporting and analysis about environmental science, policy, and culture. All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of NRDC. Learn more or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.