A drone honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
At the end of a long summer season of brutal territorial battles and courting females, male carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica) are so tired and tattered that they let themselves be handled without protest.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
An Australian spider protects her egg sac from an overzealous photographer.

Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia
This wolf spider (Lycosidae)- perfectly camouflaged against the white sand- has captured a male ant.

Florida, USA
Nothomyrmecia macrops

Poochera, South Australia
The bright colors on this Myrmecia nigrocincta bull ant warn predators of the painful sting she can deliver.

Cape Tribulation, Queensland, Australia
Myrmecia nigriscapa

Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia
A testy bulldog ant (Myrmecia nigriscapa) advances on the camera that intrudes on her nest.  The large eyes of this ant give her excellent vision.

Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecia nigriceps

Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
A drone honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A drone honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
A drone honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013