Posts Tagged: sedum

Seeing Eye-to-Eye on a Sedum

If you've ever watched a Gray Hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) nectaring a sedum, and then watched a honey bee (Apis mellifera) land on the same flower, it's a study in sharing. "I was here first," says the Gray Hairstreak, sipping nectar. "I was...

Honey bee sharing a sedum blossom with a Gray Hairstreak. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee sharing a sedum blossom with a Gray Hairstreak. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A little closer...the honey bee edges toward the Gray Hairstreak. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A little closer...the honey bee edges toward the Gray Hairstreak. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Too close for comfort. The Gray Hairstreak takes off. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Too close for comfort. The Gray Hairstreak takes off. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Miss Is as Good as a Mile

A miss is as good as a mile...or a smile. The Buckeye (Junonia coenia) is a striking butterfly patterned with eyespots and white bars. We saw one today nectaring on sedum, but with chunks of a wing missing. Perhaps a bird or a praying mantis tried to...

Buckeye butterfly on sedum. Note the missing chunks of its wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye butterfly on sedum. Note the missing chunks of its wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sideview of Buckeye butterfly-almost a meal for a predator. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sideview of Buckeye butterfly-almost a meal for a predator. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An intact Buckeye on sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buckeye on sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Streak of Gray

if it's a streak of gray, you don't wash it away. You welcome it.  The gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) is common on our sedum, a good fall plant for pollinators, including butterflies, honey bees, sweat bees and syrphid flies, aka...

A gray hairstreak foraging in sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A gray hairstreak foraging in sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee joins a gray hairsteak on a sedum blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee joins a gray hairsteak on a sedum blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Imposter

"If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck," or so the saying goes. But if it looks like a honey bee, moves around on blossoms like a honey bee, and feeds on nectar and pollen like a honey bee, it may not...

Drone Fly

DRONE FLY is often mistaken for a honey bee. This drone fly was nectaring a pincushion flower (Seabiosa columbaria) Feb. 5 in Tomales. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey Bee

WILL THE REAL honey bee stand up? This photo shows a honey bee nectaring sedum. The drone fly (top photo) is often mistaken for a honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Crab Spider Nails a Fly

The crab spider didn't go away hungry.Camouflaged in the petals of a sedum, the cunning predator waits patiently for its prey.An unsuspecting blowfly lands inches from the crab spider, unaware of its presence, and crawls toward it.Wham! The crab spider...

The Encounter

THE ENCOUNTER--An unsuspecting blowfly crawls along the top of the sedum, unaware of the crab spider stalking it. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ambush

THE AMBUSH--The crab spider grabs the blowfly with its powerful legs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Paralyzing Bite

PARALYZING BITE and it's all over for the blowfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Better Grip

BETTER GRIP--The crab spider moves the blowfly around, like food on a dinner plate. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Dinner

DINNER--The crab spider didn't go away hungry. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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