Friday, June 12, 2015

Strange Insect Behaviour Revealed Among the Orchids

I visited two of our local meadows with friends from CCC as there are particularly good displays of Common Spotted, Bee, Man and Twayblade Orchids at the moment, including an albino Spotted  Orchid. I was fortunate to spot a Soldier Beetle visiting Twayblade flowers for the nectar and at the same time picking up the pollen sacs on its head. These club-shaped pollinia attach to the head of the insect with sticky pads and will pollinate other flowers the beetle visits. Deeper in the foliage, a crab spider female holds onto her lunch while the smaller male attaches itself around her abdomen. Similar scenario with a couple of Dance flies, the female clasping her Crane fly prey.

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