Posts Tagged: primrose

A 'Morning' Carpenter Bee and an Evening Primrose

As National Pollinator Month winds down, let's visit a "morning" carpenter bee and an evening primrose. The evening primrose, Oenothera biennis, native to the Americas, is unique in that it blooms as night (as its name implies) and dies back at...

A female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina, heads for evening primrose in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina, heads for evening primrose in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee slides inside the evening primrose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee slides inside the evening primrose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee rolling in the pollen of the evening primrose. Note the metallic wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Valley carpenter bee rolling in the pollen of the evening primrose. Note the metallic wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And it's off to forage in another blossom. Valley carpenter bee is loaded with pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And it's off to forage in another blossom. Valley carpenter bee is loaded with pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Why She's Packing Pollen That Way

If you've ever seen honey bees foraging on primrose, you may have seen something unusual. What's with the pollen hanging below their hind legs as they buzz from primrose to primrose? There's a reason for that. Distinguished emeritus professor Robbin...

A honey bee prepares to visit another primose. Note the stringy mass of pollen hanging from her hind legs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee prepares to visit another primose. Note the stringy mass of pollen hanging from her hind legs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee rapidly covering the distance to the primrose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee rapidly covering the distance to the primrose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Almost in! Honey bee partially enters a primrose blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Almost in! Honey bee partially enters a primrose blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee foraging inside a primrose blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee foraging inside a primrose blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hovering

Hover flies do know how to hover.   Like a helicopter with spinning blades, the hover fly lingers seemingly motionless in mid-air over a flower before zeroing down to feed on the nectar.   Sometimes they’re called...

Hovering

HOVERING--A hover fly hovers over a rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora). Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Nectaring

NECTARING--A hover fly gathers nectar from a rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Painting?

A PAINTING? No, it's a hover fly Photoshopped. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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