Life among the flowers

Searching for bees this week has given me a better appreciation of just how full of life flowering plants can be. Nectar provides sugars while pollen is rich in protein. And predators and parasites take advantage of the abundant prey.

This post is simply a photographic tour of this small world.

Hover Fly, Melangyna sp.–  DIPTERA (Syrphidae)

Hover Fly, Melangyna sp.–  DIPTERA

Hover Fly, Melangyna sp.–  DIPTERA

Reed Bee, Exoneura sp. – HYMENOPTERA (Colletidae)

Fly (unidentified) – DIPTERA

Tachinid Fly – DIPTERA (Tachinidae)

Bee Fly, Aleucosia sp. – DIPTERA (Bombyliidae)

Native bee, Lasioglossum sp. – HYMENOPTERA (Halictidae)

Hover Fly, Cyphipelta sp. – DIPTERA (Syrphidae)

Hover Fly, Cyphipelta sp. – DIPTERA

Hover Fly, Cyphipelta sp. – DIPTERA

Looper caterpillar – LEPIDOPTERA

Looper caterpillar – LEPIDOPTERA

Assassin Bug – HEMIPTERA

Assassin Bug – HEMIPTERA

Honey Bee, Apis mellifera – HYMENOPTERA (Apidae)

Huntsman with Honey Bee

Huntsman with Honey Bee

Potter Wasp, Paralastor sp. – HYMENOPTERA (Vespidae)

Potter Wasp – HYMENOPTERA (Vespidae)

Jewel Beetle, Stigmodera – COLEOPTERA

Masked Bee – HYMENOPTERA (Colletidae)

Jewel Beetle, Stigmodera – COLEOPTERA

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