Scientist Sam Droege heads up the United States Geological Survey’s Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program. The biologist takes photographs of bees under microscope and states he has “artistic tendencies,” even referring to himself as a “bee hairdresser,” meaning he has to brush away any particles that may inhibit one’s ability to tell the different bee species apart, The New York Times reports.

While the project was in an effort to distinguish between the different types of bees, once Droege put the images on Flickr, the photographs became very popular, even sparking a book called “Bees: An Up-Close Look at Pollinators Around the World.”

The images are truly fascinating. Check them out and let us know what you think.

All images from USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab/Sam Droege/Flickr

To see more close-up images of bees, visit the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Flickr page.