A female Xylocopa mordax bee from the Dominican Republic.In 2010, the team was approached by the US Army who had pioneered macro photography techniques, borne of necessity. 'Military personnel are exposed to all kinds of diseases,' says Droege. 'In fact, a much bigger problem than getting shot is getting bitten by some kind of insect and not knowing what it is and coming down with a disease.' Previously, troops would have to catch and send samples to experts for identification but, by developing techniques to capture highly detailed images, identification and medical advice can be issued more rapidlyPhotograph: Sam Droege and the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab