Pollen Packed. Mining Bee, Andrena sp., on Arabis caucasica Wild., Rock-cress, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Well yes! I sank to my knees for a while but it wasn't to adore Flora, the Goddess of Gardens and Flowering Plants. Rather, I wanted to try to get a photo of our Mining Bee - I think: Andrena flavipes - as she emerged from her nest in the warm soil.
Here's a Rock-cress, labeled in this wonderful garden as Arabis caucasica Wild. which again is a synonym for Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica (Willd) Briq. The name acronyms stand for two famous botanists, Carl Ludwig von Willdenow (1765-1812) and John Isaac Briquet (1870-1931). I'm a little sceptical as to that label, I think Arabis is usually white; this is rather more like an Aubrieta sp. But they're very close and difficult to distinguish.
Before I forget: yep, after a while on my knees I did capture Andrena as she was leaving her burrow (see upper left inset), where she'd deposited her heavy load of Aubrietal or Arabisan pollen... Just look at her Yellow Pollen Baskets! She flew off a few yards for more gathering.
Pollen Packed. Mining Bee, Andrena sp., on Arabis caucasica Wild., Rock-cress, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Well yes! I sank to my knees for a while but it wasn't to adore Flora, the Goddess of Gardens and Flowering Plants. Rather, I wanted to try to get a photo of our Mining Bee - I think: Andrena flavipes - as she emerged from her nest in the warm soil.
Here's a Rock-cress, labeled in this wonderful garden as Arabis caucasica Wild. which again is a synonym for Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica (Willd) Briq. The name acronyms stand for two famous botanists, Carl Ludwig von Willdenow (1765-1812) and John Isaac Briquet (1870-1931). I'm a little sceptical as to that label, I think Arabis is usually white; this is rather more like an Aubrieta sp. But they're very close and difficult to distinguish.
Before I forget: yep, after a while on my knees I did capture Andrena as she was leaving her burrow (see upper left inset), where she'd deposited her heavy load of Aubrietal or Arabisan pollen... Just look at her Yellow Pollen Baskets! She flew off a few yards for more gathering.