Posts Tagged: Iceland Poppy
Katydids Did It
Katydids did it. When it comes to the best of the industrial-strength shredding machines, they're it. The nymphs have been feeding our Iceland poppies, chewing incredible holes in petal after petal, and then looking around for more. They leave behind what looks like shredded cabbage. But if you...
Close-up of a katydid nymph on an Iceland poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A katydid nymph, its legs visible, leaving the Iceland poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A katydid nymph (top) peers over a shredded Iceland poppy at its dinner mates. A spotted cucumber beetle is at left. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
No Sweat? Yes, Sweat!
Ever seen a mob of tiny sweat bees? The bees below, from the genus Lasioglossum (as identified by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis), just about flash-mobbed an Iceland poppy. These hungry little...
Sweat bees from the genus Lasioglossum on an Iceland poppy. This image was taken with a NIkon D800 with a 60mm macro lens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of sweat bees from the genus Lasioglossum on an Iceland poppy. This photo was taken with a Canon MPE-65mm lens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Drone Acrobatics
The drone fly, aka European hover fly, aka syrphid fly, doesn't get as much press as the other drone, the unmanned aircraft. But the drone fly (Eristalis tenax), about the size of a honey bee and often mistaken for a honey bee, makes for great in-flight photos. It's sort of the Fat Albert of the...
A drone fly, aka hover fly and syrphid fly, engaging in a little acrobatics over an Iceland poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Hover fly heading for an Iceland poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This photo shows why drone flies are pollinators. Check out the pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Matadors in the Champagne Bubbles
It's cool how honey bees and syrphid flies gravitate toward the Iceland Poppy. It's a winter plant, and frankly, there isn't much to eat out there. The Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule), a bowl-shaped, papery flower, fills the bill. The name is a misnomer. It's not native to Iceland. It's from...
A syrphid fly, aka hover fly or flower fly, on an Iceland Poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A green bottle fly soaking up sunshine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee gathering pollen. In the foreground: a freeloader fly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two syrphids sharing an Iceland Poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)