Foully Attractive. Calliphora vicina, Common Bluebottle Fly, on Candle Plant, Baculellum articulatum, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A week or so ago I posted a photo of a Marmalade Hoverfly on this, our Baculellum articulatum (www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/54951810203/in/datepos...). It's still in full flower and is now also freely emitting its foul odor. Something like a mixture of 'old' sweaty feet and rotting meat. Much as this is disgusting to me - and probably for you as well - it's highly attractive to prettily colored Common Bluebottle flies. I watched for a bit and it seemed to me Bluebottle was nectaring and not foraging for pollen.
Foully Attractive. Calliphora vicina, Common Bluebottle Fly, on Candle Plant, Baculellum articulatum, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
A week or so ago I posted a photo of a Marmalade Hoverfly on this, our Baculellum articulatum (www.flickr.com/photos/87453322@N00/54951810203/in/datepos...). It's still in full flower and is now also freely emitting its foul odor. Something like a mixture of 'old' sweaty feet and rotting meat. Much as this is disgusting to me - and probably for you as well - it's highly attractive to prettily colored Common Bluebottle flies. I watched for a bit and it seemed to me Bluebottle was nectaring and not foraging for pollen.