Another Cleptoparasitic Bee

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Another Cleptoparasitic Bee

Post by Ken Ramos »

Image
Cuckoo Bee
Canon EOS 20D
Manual mode, hand held
1/125 sec. @ f/7.1 ISO 100
Canon EF-100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon 430EX Speedlite ETTL @ -1/3, off camera w/Novoflex bracket
PP: Photo Impact 6 :D

Quite an unsual occurance here. The same type of bee I posted a few days ago, at least I think it is, but there were about three or four others along with this one, all attached or clinging to the stems of a small bush down in the woods, by their mouth parts. :shock: None seemed to be moving, with the exception of one other noted clinging to a small stem off of a tree limb. Every so often that one would stand on its hind legs and stroke the antennae with its forelegs and then wonder on randomly about the stem, back and forth. :roll: :-k Some of you may know what I am thinking but it could be nothing at all, just something that I am not familar with, still I am going to keep an eye on them to see if they still persist on the stems. :wink:

jaharris1001
Posts: 319
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:26 pm
Location: Deltona Florida

Post by jaharris1001 »

how unusual Ken,, they were clinging on to a leaf with thier mouths,, very different,, I was wondering what was happening with its abdoman,, nice shot here though :wink:
Jim

"I'm growing older,, but not up " Jimmy Buffett

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Of course I am thinking Cordyceps here, however, I may just be jumping to conclusions because I know nothing about most insects if any thing at all. There has to be some life in the bee because the eyes have not faded. Probably, as I afore mentioned, something or some sort of behavior I am not familar with. :-k

Thanks Jim :D

beetleman
Posts: 3578
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by beetleman »

Great photos Ken. I remember a post of a bee doing that and someone said it was sleeping or resting. You would think the end of a stem with your butt hanging out would not be a good way to rest :lol:
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

I sort of figured it might be something like that Doug but I didn't know. Yeah I can think of a lot better ways to rest than hanging off a branch by my teeth. :lol:

Thanks Doug :D

Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

If I went by visual impressions I would say that the insect was trapped by some powerful plant-generated adhesive which was holding its mouthparts in situ where they had touched (bitten?) a (baited flower?) of an insectivorous plant. The legs would have started by gripping the foliage, the abdomen curved forward to permit this but the muscles would eventually have become exhausted and the body straigtened up.

The above is probably far from the truth but perhaps it fits the visual evidence.

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Hey...any port in a storm there Harold. :lol:

Thanks :D

Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

Ken Ramos wrote:Hey...any port in a storm there Harold. :lol:

Thanks :D
You recognise my strategy! :wink:

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

I have since went out to check on them. They were still there and I placed two of them in a small 15ml. vial and brought them in. They and the vial are, at present, in a killing jar. Soon I will take a much closer look through the dissecting microscope and post the images in the micro forum, linking back to this one and vice versa. :D

Planapo
Posts: 1581
Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:33 am
Location: Germany, in the United States of Europe

Post by Planapo »

Doug remembered correctly. This is a sleeping/resting posture that occasionally quite some solitary bee species can be found in. They take such a posture during the night, but also to outlast a cold and rainy period during which they are not active. Sometimes you can find them soaking wet hanging there in the rain.

I regularly find Osmia florisomnis in the Campanula flowers in our backyard garden. So, in case you have Campanula in your garden it´s worth checking 'em out on summer mornings or during cold and rainy days.
And btw, in this case the latin species name already exactly describes this behaviour: florisomnis translates to flower-sleeping.
A bee sleeping in a flower - romantic isn´t it?!

But now it looks like a romance has come to a sudden end in a killing jar. :| :? :smt009 :smt087 :smt089

--Betty

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

Betty wrote:
But now it looks like a romance has come to a sudden end in a killing jar.


Not to worry, they survived the ordeal of the "killing jar" quite well. :D Though they now probably have brain damage and are now listening to Jimmi Hendrix and Pink Floyd albums, mellowing out to Grateful Dead. I placed them in the jar long enough to immobilize them and then photographed them, and then removed them to fresh air where they revived and crawled off with what could be assumed as a massive hangover. :lol:

tonygt19
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 12:50 pm
Location: PA and MD,USA
Contact:

A tattoo perhaps?

Post by tonygt19 »

The smiley face just behind the "elbow" joint of the front leg is a nice touch.
Tony

Ken Ramos
Posts: 7208
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Location: lat=35.4005&lon=-81.9841

Post by Ken Ramos »

tonygt19 replied:
The smiley face just behind the "elbow" joint of the front leg is a nice touch.
I had not noticed that. :-k Good observation. :wink:

Thanks Tony :D

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic