Biologist Sam Dreoge, who works at the US Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, takes stunning up-close photographs of bees that showcase their incredible delicate beauty.
As head of the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab, he catalogs hundreds of bee species, and his photographs are used to identify and track bee populations.
They are magnified up to five times the size of the insect, bringing all its fine details into sharp focus. Most of the photographs are composites of multiple images that are shot with a 60-mm macro lens.
Dreoge preps each bee specimen by bathing it in warm water and soap, and blow-drying it to bring out its vibrant, luxurious hair.
Apart from being marvellous to behold, his images could potentially aid in the research and fight against Colony Collapse Disorder, which has been decimating bee populations for years.
View some stunning pictures below and browse more at Dreoge’s Flickr page.
[via Beautiful Decay, This Is Colossal and Smithsonian, images via Sam Dreoge]