MaineNatureDiary

Bald Faced Hornet Nest: ‘Tis the season for wasp nests. Here is a slide show of a nest...

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:51:24 -0400

Bald Faced Hornet Nest: ‘Tis the season for wasp nests. Here is a slide show of a nest...

Yellow Jacket Update: The yellow jackets are lively as ever. I just read a tidbit from my Audubon...

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:54:00 -0400

Yellow Jacket Update: The yellow jackets are lively as ever. I just read a tidbit from my Audubon...

Walk in the forest: I chickened out about going down to the dock to go kayaking, and will wait until...

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:13:00 -0400

Walk in the forest: I chickened out about going down to the dock to go kayaking, and will wait until...

Laurie is back from Sweden: I was on a 3 week trip to Sweden, and have just returned home....

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:27:25 -0400

Laurie is back from Sweden: I was on a 3 week trip to Sweden, and have just returned home....

Crane Fly: A fragile looking crane fly as seen through our...

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:07:00 -0400

Crane Fly: A fragile looking crane fly as seen through our window pane (approximately 6 cm. wingspan). They are sometimes called skeeter eaters, but it is only the crane fly larvae that sometimes consume mosquito larvae. Adult flies feed on nectar or don’t feed at all.

Crane Fly: A pair of halteres that flap rapidly to act as flight...

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:01:00 -0400

Crane Fly: A pair of halteres that flap rapidly to act as flight stabilizers are visible below the wings.

Crane Fly: Close-up of the wing.

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0400

Crane Fly: Close-up of the wing.

Mid-Summer Flowers: Our flower gardens give me tremendous joy from spring to autumn. This...

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:19:00 -0400

Mid-Summer Flowers: Our flower gardens give me tremendous joy from spring to autumn. This...

Insect Mania: I have been going insect crazy with the camera! It is not just flowers that brighten...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:19:00 -0400

Insect Mania: I have been going insect crazy with the camera! It is not just flowers that brighten...

Mining Bee on Coreopsis: I really enjoyed watching this bee as...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:09:33 -0400

Mining Bee on Coreopsis: I really enjoyed watching this bee as it became covered with pollen. It has specialized appendages for moving the pollen to the combs on its legs.

Toxomerus Hover Fly on Astilbe: Characteristics that distinguish...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:48:00 -0400

Toxomerus Hover Fly on Astilbe: Characteristics that distinguish this 1 cm long fly from the American Hover Fly, is that the Toxomerus species has a yellow face, as well as an interesting little pattern on the abdomen. This fly’s larval form is extremely important in controlling aphid populations.

Green Bottle Fly on Astilbe: These flies really brighten the...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:28:00 -0400

Green Bottle Fly on Astilbe: These flies really brighten the garden as they seem to sparkle when the sunlight reflects off their thorax and abdomen. In actuality, this fly is approximately 1.2 cm (1/2 inch) long.

Little Glassywing Skipper: I am continually amazed at the length...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:12:41 -0400

Little Glassywing Skipper: I am continually amazed at the length of the proboscis that butterflies have. They can reach into the deepest flowers to extract nectar.

Little Glassywing Skipper on Lobelia: These little butterflies...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:05:00 -0400

Little Glassywing Skipper on Lobelia: These little butterflies are one of my favorite species in our gardens. They really look like they are skipping from flower to flower.

Short-Stalked Damselflies: The damselflies are mating in our...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:48:59 -0400

Short-Stalked Damselflies: The damselflies are mating in our area at the moment. They can even fly around in this loving embrace. Amazing!

Mining Bee on Coreopsis (I think): These bees seem to be the...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:46:00 -0400

Mining Bee on Coreopsis (I think): These bees seem to be the most common species buzzing around our gardens at the moment. Note the proboscis used to suck nectar up from the flower. It is similar to a soda straw.

Mining Bee on Astilbe (I think): This tiny bee was zooming all...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:24:00 -0400

Mining Bee on Astilbe (I think): This tiny bee was zooming all over the astilbe flowers collecting pollen and sipping nectar. Note the white pollen on his hind legs. The bee is only about 9mm long (3/8”).

Macro Photography yields interesting observation: While playing...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:26:00 -0400

Macro Photography yields interesting observation: While playing around with the camera (70-200mm lens with 20mm + 12mm extension tubes), I observed a green metallic bee on a Potentilla flower exhibiting some interesting behavior. Now, I’ve seen these bees on many different flowers, and they generally bee-bop from anther to anther, but this bee would find an anther and wrap itself around the anther in a tight hug as if to collect as much pollen as possible. The other flowers that I have observed these bees on (Mallow, Astilbe, and Tickseed) all have anthers that the bees just have to brush against to release the pollen. But, the Potentilla anthers tuck the pollen between two fleshy plates. The 4 photos below this one show the bee’s actions on the anther.

Green Metallic Bee on Potentilla Photo 1: The bee is searching...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:25:00 -0400

Green Metallic Bee on Potentilla Photo 1: The bee is searching for just the right anther to gather pollen from. The anthers of Potentilla flowers are like little sandwiches with the pollen tucked in the middle.

Green Metallic Bee on Potentilla Photo 2: The bee has found just...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:24:00 -0400

Green Metallic Bee on Potentilla Photo 2: The bee has found just the right anther and begins to curl its body around it. Note that the top of the anther is 2mm long, and the bee is about 9 mm long.