Attachment: U of S Image 11

Hitching a Ride: The first instar larva of Stylops advarians clings to the hairs of an adult mining bee. Using scanning electron microscopy, the morphology of this minute insect larva can be examined. First instars are the host-seeking stage of the parasitic insect order Strepsiptera. This first instar will use an adult mining bee to transport it to the bee’s nest, where it will infect one of the bee’s offspring. The head, with several sensory structures, is pointing towards the bottom left corner. The rest of the body is covered in hairs that either cling to the bee’s hair, or the pollen that these bees collect and supply to their offspring, helping the larva stay on the bee as it flies. (Zach Balzer/M.Sc. Student in Biology) Funder: University Graduate Scholarship