Apologies for the poor pictures, but here's a little bee-mimicking robber fly, after and before catching a tiny bee for dinner. I followed this wily hunter around for quite a while, and he wasn't pleased with my interference so he didn't let me get very close.
A beautiful crane fly, hanging inside a sunlit bush. (This is who I was trying to photograph when I took the picture of the syrphid fly I posted yesterday. I recommend sticking your head under a bush occasionally. There's a whole other world in there.)
The reproduction by cross-pollination of many species depends on wild bees. With them, the survival of certain species of animals is also threatened (such as certain birds, butterflies, bumblebees...).
The bee collects pollen and nectar from the flower. Some of this nectar (which is located on the stamen) gets stuck to the bee's hairs during transport to another flower. When she lands on the other flower, this nectar is deposited on the stigma, or pistil (female reproductive organs). It is thanks to this that fertilization is possible, and that seeds can develop.
Unfortunately, the number of pollinators is decreasing more and more, especially in industrialized countries. And yet, there are 45% more hives worldwide in the last 50 years. But too many pesticides, plants rich in nectar that are becoming increasingly rare, especially in urban areas, and many other factors contribute to the decline of pollinator species year after year.
This Synema globosum is sometimes called the Napoleon spider, because of a supposed resemblance of the markings on the abdomen (not visible here) to a silhouette of Napoleon wearing his iconic hat.
It is here on a Caryophyllaceae flower, commonly called the pink family or carnation family.
Ich weiß ja nicht, ob in meinem letzten Beitrag ein aufmerksamer Betrachter das Tierchen entdeckt hat. Aber dieser #Pinselfüßer verdient es einmal im Rampenlicht zu stehen.
Here's a cute caterpillar doing its best to disrupt your feed. This is the Shag Carpet Caterpillar Moth (Prothysana sp.). As an adult, it is sorta a drab triangular brown thing, but as a larva, I find it resplendent. Its larval scales are way cooler than the adult ones.
A little fly (Scathophaga?) who kept me company for a long time yesterday. It makes me very happy when a little creature like this deigns to hang out with me. I had to take the pictures with my left (non-dominant) hand because he was perched on my right hand, which made it difficult.
I've had trouble taking pictures lately. I don't know if the problem is my eyes, my hands, my imagination, or my patience.