Olfactory floral mimicry of injured ants mediates the attraction of kleptoparasitic fly pollinators Mochizuki reports a plant that lures pollinating flies by imitating the scent of ants injured by predators. This study reveals the first known case of ant mimicry in flowers and uncovers previously un...

#Flowers that mimic the smell of injured #ants to attract #kleptoparasites as #pollinators!

Go home evolution you’re drunk!

www.cell.com/current-biol...

Male sharp tailed bee,Coelyoxys sp hanging about on my bee hotel. They are kleptoparasites of leaf cutter bees, megachile sp and hairy footed flower bees both of which use the hotel #invertebrates #kleptoparasites #uknature #beehotels #insects #oxfordwildlife #macro

A small brown-black bee with pale yellow abdominal stripes, short straight antennae, and pale brown eyes is seen in a high-angle frontal view. It is crawling on a dark brown thimble-shaped cone of disc florets surrounded by bright yellow ray florets of a daisy-like Black-eyed Susan.

The same bee is seen from high on the right side.

Next up in the #native Nomadinae -- a male Notch-backed Cellophane Cuckoo #Bee (Epeolus scutellaris) on Rudbeckia hirta. Like others in the same group, these are #kleptoparasites, but specialize on cellophane bees (Colletes spp.). #backyard #garden #biodiversity #YorkRegion 🇨🇦

A small red-brown bee with long antennae and vertically elongate bright yellow spots on the flanks of its abdomen, seen from the left side. The ovoid brown eye is clearly visible. The bee is feeding on the yellow disc florets of a fleabane flower, and yellow pollen grains adhere to its thorax and legs.

Same bee, seen from above. The translucent amber-coloured wings are folded over the abdomen. Two small circular yellow tubercles are present at the rear of the thorax. A close look shows that the head and thorax are covered in tiny bumps.

Moving on with the #garden #bee list - time to look at the Nomadinae = cuckoo & nomad bees! 1st up is a Typical Nomad Bee (Nomada ruficornis sp. group, prob. N. maculata - Spotted Nomad) on fleabane. All in this subfamily are #kleptoparasites on other bees. #backyard #biodiversity #YorkRegion 🇨🇦

Coelioxys sp, sharp tailed bees mating, seen last summer, Cornwall. Can anyone help with the species?#insects #invertebrates #bees #entomology #kleptoparasites

At long last, our paper showing that #pollinators and #kleptoparasites are affected by field-scale management while #predators and #pests respond to landscape #habitat availability is out! Surprise result: no #till worse for pollinators than intermediate till. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...