The Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley is an ecologically unique region acclaimed for its biodiversity and great conservation value. The Valley harbors a multitude of wild bee species rarely seen north of Mexico—many found almost exclusively in Texas or along the Texas-Mexico border. Habitat loss, increasing drought, and border politics threaten habitats along the Rio Grande, and many of these species are at risk of disappearing before they have been fully documented: fascinating species such as the rare Texas mesoxaea, the emerald-green Aztec sweat bee, the stunning Aztec and  Totonac cuckoo leafcutters, and the elusive Mexican feather-tongued bee.

Author and photographer Paula Sharp has painstakingly documented more than 100 bee species of 45 distinct genera to produce Native Bees of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, offering readers a rare glimpse of the region’s bee life. Many of the bees shown here have never appeared in published photographs. Each species is presented in colorful detail, accompanied by notes on behavior and floral associations, and by short histories summarizing prior entomological studies. Sharp combines formidable research skills with dazzling photographic artistry to render a book that is comprehensive, informative, and beautiful. This richly illustrated and authoritative, peer-reviewed  guide to native bee species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley will be of great interest to avocational and professional naturalists, entomologists, and conservationists.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Paula Sharp is a writer and photojournalist. She is the author of the national bestseller Crows over a Wheatfield and four other New York Times Notable Books, and creator of the popular websites Wild Bees of the National Butterfly Center and Wild Bees of New York.  She has traveled throughout the U.S. and Brazil, documenting conservation issues.  Sharp conducted five years of field research in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, photographing native bees in their natural habitats. Sharp’s photographs have appeared in Science, American Butterfly, and other national magazines.  An exhibit of photographs by Sharp and her collaborator Ross Eatman, titled Wild Bees, has appeared on a national tour, in prominent forums such as the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Bruce Museum of Connecticut, the International Museum of Art & Science and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.