I have spent the last 8 years outdoors escaping the stress of my full time healthcare job. In that time, I have progressed from simply birding, to botanizing, to obsessing over insects and pollinators to now using that time to collect bees. Ultimately, though, it is my time to de-stress. Collecting bees simply lets me give back during my time outdoors as the bees I collect are going to a University collection where the southern part of my state is poorly represented. I have established that Caupolicana electa exists in several areas of MS (and likely AL and LA) and the existence of Habronattus viridipes in Mississippi as well. I am not really an expert in anything, and I am ok with that. One day, when I retire and have time to dig deep (and buy a microscope) I hope to develop bee identification skills, spend more time tracking down all the species of dragonfly known in my state and continue to explore the world of jumping spiders.

If you are one of the experts who patiently helps identify my observations beyond genus level, thank you.

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