Posts Tagged: Passiflora

Passionate About the Passionflower Vines

Valley carpenter bees are passionate about passionflower vines (Passiflora). You see these black bees foraging on the blossoms. Tiny grains of...

A female Valley carpenter bee is covered with yellow pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female Valley carpenter bee is covered with yellow pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Female Valley carpenter bee on a passionflower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Female Valley carpenter bee on a passionflower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Terminator

So here you are, a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, chowing down on the leaves of a passionflower vine. Your mother laid an egg, you hatched into a...

A European paper wasp on the hunt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp on the hunt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp attacks a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp attacks a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European paper wasp tears apart the caterpillar, food for its young. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European paper wasp tears apart the caterpillar, food for its young. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

It's a Girl!

At last! From an egg to a caterpillar to a chrysalis to a butterfly. And it's a girl! For several days we've been protecting a Gulf Fritillary...

Female Gulf Fritillary butterfly dries her wings after emerging from her chrysalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Female Gulf Fritillary butterfly dries her wings after emerging from her chrysalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Newly emerged Gulf Fritillary butterfly hangs on the fence. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Newly emerged Gulf Fritillary butterfly hangs on the fence. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A suitor approaches the female. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A suitor approaches the female. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Almost engaged. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Almost engaged. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Mating Gulf Fritillary butterflies. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Mating Gulf Fritillary butterflies. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The female is doing a post-coital stretch, according to butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis. "She's a tad oddly marked, too." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The female is doing a post-coital stretch, according to butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis. "She's a tad oddly marked, too." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Passion for Passion Flowers

Honey bees are passionate about passion flowers (Passiflora). The intricate tropical flower is their private merry-go-round, their favorite hide 'n...

Honey bees foraging on a passion flower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bees foraging on a passion flower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

So many bees, so little time. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

So many bees, so little time. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

From the top, the passion flower blossom looks like an intricate merry-go-round. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

From the top, the passion flower blossom looks like an intricate merry-go-round. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Wearing of the Orange

It was a perfect St. Patrick's Day--not just for the wearing of the green, but for the wearing of the orange. The Gulf Fritillary butterfly...

Gulf Fritillary butterfly touches down on the leaves of an Amaryllis, aka naked lady. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillary butterfly touches down on the leaves of an Amaryllis, aka naked lady. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillary checks out the leaves of a passion flower plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillary checks out the leaves of a passion flower plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Egg of a Gulf Fritillary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Egg of a Gulf Fritillary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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