I went to UBC this week to check out the bees at the Spencer Entomological Collection.
It is a quiet room tucked away on the 4th floor of the Bio Sciences building on the Main Mall. Of course I didn't follow directions and walked up the only staircase where you couldn't access the east wing. I spent the afternoon with the bees and bugs which are all pinned to boards inside glass topped wooden speciman cases.
I thought I might feel squeamish, but the beauty of (some) of them is overwhelming. I could stay there for days, happily photographing the sacrificed creatures. They are labeled with the place, date and person who collected them.
Here are some of my favourites


There is a large collection which was donated called the Hook Collection, they were collected in the early part of the last century so were all glued to the card. I have to go back and shoot more of these.

Then there were the ones in jars which I hardly had a chance to glance at. But took a quick reference shot.