Sweet Nuptial. Polistes dominula, European Paper Wasp, on Bridal Wreath, Francoa sonchifolia or Llaupanke, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The pretty bright colors of the European Paper Wasp always delight me. Here it's visiting Bridal Wreath for nutritional nectar. Francoa was first described by intrepid French-Spanish botanist Louis Éconches Feuillée (1660-1732) who saw it in the mountains of Chile and wrote about it - with fine illustration - in his Histoire des plantes medecinales qui sont le plus en usage aux royaumes de l'Amerique meridionale, du Perou & du Chily (1714). He doesn't use the name Francoa but rather the one employed by the natives of Chile: Llaupanke. 'Francoa' was devised by great Antonio José Cavanilles (1745-1804) for this plant to honor the learned Spanish botanist of Jewish extraction Francisco Franco (1515-1569) of Valencia who became professor of natural history at Alcalá: www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/48365486651/in/photoli....
Sweet Nuptial. Polistes dominula, European Paper Wasp, on Bridal Wreath, Francoa sonchifolia or Llaupanke, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The pretty bright colors of the European Paper Wasp always delight me. Here it's visiting Bridal Wreath for nutritional nectar. Francoa was first described by intrepid French-Spanish botanist Louis Éconches Feuillée (1660-1732) who saw it in the mountains of Chile and wrote about it - with fine illustration - in his Histoire des plantes medecinales qui sont le plus en usage aux royaumes de l'Amerique meridionale, du Perou & du Chily (1714). He doesn't use the name Francoa but rather the one employed by the natives of Chile: Llaupanke. 'Francoa' was devised by great Antonio José Cavanilles (1745-1804) for this plant to honor the learned Spanish botanist of Jewish extraction Francisco Franco (1515-1569) of Valencia who became professor of natural history at Alcalá: www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/48365486651/in/photoli....