This entry was posted by Quilly
on Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under nature, Photograph.
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it does look different from ours… ineresting how it clings to the blossom – i would guess it’s trying to get to the nectar by cutting through the petals rather than climbing into it, which would suggest that the bee and the blossom did not evolve simultanuously, meaning one is probably not indigenous (cunning insect, though)
Polona, since the bee is from the western US (Xylocopa californica, probably subsp. arizonensis, but I’m not sure – they’re known in English as carpenter bees), and the flower is from east and south Asia (Chinese violet, Asystasia gangetica), it’s very likely that the two are trying to figure each other out. I’m not sure whether the bee is cutting through the petals or merely shoving them aside. The bees that I’ve seen cut through flowers do so from the backside, not the front. However, this flower doesn’t have much of a backside.
And yes, neither one is indigenous. There’s precious little plant or animal life on these islands that is indigenous, not any more.
Quintessentially Quilly :.
it does look different from ours… ineresting how it clings to the blossom – i would guess it’s trying to get to the nectar by cutting through the petals rather than climbing into it, which would suggest that the bee and the blossom did not evolve simultanuously, meaning one is probably not indigenous (cunning insect, though)
btw, nice closeup — high ISO?
Polona, since the bee is from the western US (Xylocopa californica, probably subsp. arizonensis, but I’m not sure – they’re known in English as carpenter bees), and the flower is from east and south Asia (Chinese violet, Asystasia gangetica), it’s very likely that the two are trying to figure each other out. I’m not sure whether the bee is cutting through the petals or merely shoving them aside. The bees that I’ve seen cut through flowers do so from the backside, not the front. However, this flower doesn’t have much of a backside.
And yes, neither one is indigenous. There’s precious little plant or animal life on these islands that is indigenous, not any more.
Polona — the ISO was 200. It was a very bright, sunny afternoon.
thank you for the explanation, OC.
and uilly – i adked because i have a feeling thee’s some noise in the photo which higher ISO might have caused…
Polona — I am very new at this, but I assumed the “noise” in the photo was because the light was still too bright even for my lowest setting. No?
You could come to Hawaii and teach me photography!