July busyness

 

July busyness

It has been a delight to see numbers of Gatekeeper butterflies (Pyronia tithonus) fluttering about the oregano flowers and settling on them to feed.

  Gatekeepers are often known as Hedge browns. They emerge in July and August and breed one generation. The caterpillars feed on tall meadow grass, then overwinter as larvae. They then pupate in the spring, before hatching as butterflies in the family of Browns.

Their wings are orange and brown, with one small black spot on the forewing. Each spot carries two small white spots. These spots mark the difference between the Hedge brown and its close cousin, the Meadow brown. The latter has just one white pupil on its black wing spot.

                I think I saw Meadow browns (Maniola jurtina) in the garden, too.

                                                Small white

Small and Large Whites were flying, but would not settle for their photographic opportunity. The photographs above were taken a few years ago, when a Small white, or Cabbage butterfly, (Pieris rapae) had come into the conservatory to lay her eggs.

            

As I sat watching, a Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) came to rest on the oregano. The oregano flowers have proved very popular. I  think they provide great quantities of pollen.

                

                            

                

            

            Meanwhile, on the Lavatera, a huge bumble bee was in apparent                         ecstasy, turning this way and that on its bright pink couch.

    

There were numbers of hoverflies, bees large and small in a variety of stripes and patterns, and a myriad of other pollinators, from very noticeable to almost microscopic.

Forget-me-not

 

Forget-me-not (Myosotis)

This is not the clearest of photographs, but it does show some flowers with yellow centres, indicating that they still have nectar, and some flowers whose centres have turned white.

These pretty flowers, usually dressed in blue, but sometimes appearing in pink or white, flower for a few weeks in the spring. They are dying back now, to reappear next year, without fuss or special care.

The yellow centres indicate that the flowers are full of nectar. When the flower has been pollinated, the centres turn white. This indicates to bees and other pollinators, that the flowers are no longer offering nectar, the food they are seeking. The cupboard is bare, and they should look elsewhere.

 A podcast from the BBC, ‘In Our Time,’ hosted by a rather elderly-sounding Melvyn Bragg (he’s now 85) gives a detailed account of pollination. The programme lasts for fifty minutes, but all the contributors are experts, and so are fascinating to listen to.

Did you know that bees can count, and recognise images of human faces?

 

A to Z challenge 2023 – P is for . . .

 

A to Z challenge 2023 – P is for . . .

My theme for this challenge is Nature in all much of her wonderful diversity. My posts will reflect the fact that I am resident in the south of England.

All photographs in this post are the property of the writer.

Pollinators

Marmalade hoverfly on cornflower

The first beasties that come to mind as pollinators are bees and butterflies, but birds, moths, flies, beetles and wasps all play their part. Even small mammals like mice can contribute to the greater good.

Honey bee on pyracantha

Robins, blackbirds, blue tits and starlings are among the birds that are classed as pollinators. Even humans can be responsible for accidentally transferring pollen from one place to another. (Some do it deliberately, with a fine paintbrush. I had a sudden vision then of someone wielding a house-painter’s brush, maybe even a roller!)

Bumble bee in nasturtium

Some of the pollinators have interesting habits. For example, the bumblebees, those big furry insects that tempt one to stroke them, vibrate their bodies to dislodge pollen. The bees then comb the pollen off their bodies into little baskets on their legs. This is called buzz pollination and while most of the pollen is taken back to the nest to feed their young, some will be transferred to the next flowers the bees visit.

Bumble bee with pollen grains

Some species of bumblebees can fly at around 15 kilometres an hour – that’s 9.3 miles per hour. The average walking speed of a reasonably fit human is 3 to 4 miles per hour!

Marmalade hoverfly going about its business

Marmalade hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus) are prodigious pollinators and extremely migratory, able to travel hundreds of miles a day. Billions of them fly in and out of southern Britain every year, carrying copious amounts of pollen. They visit almost three quarters of global food crops and over 70% of wildflowers. They also feed on aphids, so do double service.

Blackbird in honeysuckle

Not all bees live in communities, and the pantaloon bee (Dasypoda hirtipes) is one I haven’t seen, but I love the name. She is one of nearly 250 species of solitary bees and sports a host of long orange hairs on her hind legs, which convey the pollen back to the nest.

Bumble bee  with rapidly filling basket of pollen

Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) have their purpose, too, as pollinators. They have high energy requirements, so search out flower nectar. In the process, pollen sticks to their bodies, so even though they are not as hairy as bees, they are still important pollinators. Remember that, the next time you attempt to swat one!

Cabbage white feeding. Enlarge photograph to see the tongue

Gatekeeper butterfly feeding on scabious

Essex skipper on thistle

Moths and butterflies also collect pollen on their bodies as they search for nectar.

Juvenile starling in honeysuckle

Beetles have been important pollinators for millions of years. Some have adapted to a pollen-rich diet, while others, like the ladybirds, enjoy pollen as a pleasant addition to their usual diet of aphids. 

Dusty-looking six spot ladybird on pansy

Around 1000 species of the UK’s beetles, about a quarter of the total, are pollinators. Some are dedicated pollinators while others pollinate incidentally, moving pollen as they travel around.