Image of Eastern Carpenter Bee

Description:

At a low magnification of 119x, this scanning electron micrograph depicted some of the morphologic details displayed on the surface of a carpenter bee's, Xylocopa virginica, head in the region of the insect's three "ocelli", or simple eyes. Note the textural complexities of bumps, ridges, troughs and "hairs" or "setae", all composed of the same proteinaceous material known as chitin, as is the exoskeleton itself.
Created: 2006