Scaled image p51.webp

A bee in the Echinocereus stramineus     5/29/22
I've pointed this phenomenon out to you several times over the years. This species of bee likes to stay for a long time in any cactus flower. It impresses me that it's in some sort of catatonic state. I've picked up many times a pot with a flowering cactus with a bee in it. The bee just stays in the flower. The other day, I worked a brush into a long-ish flower to get pollen for fertilizing. I happened to snag a catatonic bee from deep in the flower. The bee fell off the brush onto the ground. Still no movement. After a while, it collected itself and flew off. Incidentally, this species has the biggest Echinocereus flowers that I'm aware of.   (51/56)   

<<Prev       Index       Next>>