Emerald Lover of Stamens. Agapostemon virescens, Sweat Bee, on Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The talented and versatile naturalist Mark Catesby (1682-1749) in the second volume of his marvellous natural history of North America gives a set of descriptions and drawings of plants and trees paired with snakes. Thus his rendering of Echinacea purpurea, eastern Purple Coneflower (called by him Chrysanthemum americanum) also shows an elegantly curling Caecilia maculata, Glass Snake. How he came to associate our Coneflower with that Snake I don't know. It's a little curious that he didn't paint it with Bumblebees or this wonderful Emerald Lover of Stamens, Agapostemon virescens, one of the boringly named Sweat Bees. On a warm sunny day both insects can hardly be overlooked on this flower... And here in Lincoln Park I certainly saw no snakes!
Emerald Lover of Stamens. Agapostemon virescens, Sweat Bee, on Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The talented and versatile naturalist Mark Catesby (1682-1749) in the second volume of his marvellous natural history of North America gives a set of descriptions and drawings of plants and trees paired with snakes. Thus his rendering of Echinacea purpurea, eastern Purple Coneflower (called by him Chrysanthemum americanum) also shows an elegantly curling Caecilia maculata, Glass Snake. How he came to associate our Coneflower with that Snake I don't know. It's a little curious that he didn't paint it with Bumblebees or this wonderful Emerald Lover of Stamens, Agapostemon virescens, one of the boringly named Sweat Bees. On a warm sunny day both insects can hardly be overlooked on this flower... And here in Lincoln Park I certainly saw no snakes!