A PASSION FLOWER, CATERPILLAR, BUTTERFLY, HELICONIA,
HERMIT HUMMINGBIRD STORY (pictures and story)
The pictures included in this story have been taken to ilustrate an event that occurs all the time, but we, in our speedy passing through nature seldom take time to see. Photography is a powerful tool to make ideas available to others. Planning your pictures towards a statement will make the difference between a pro and an amateur nature photographer.
Most plants have developed a unique relationship with their pollinators and all of them are in a continuous race in developing effective means to lower predation. When animals take advantage of both of these traits and we learn about them, we are left full of wonder.
Flowers tend to grow with features that help their would be pollinators to fertilize them. Plants have evolved myriads of strategies to take advantage of this. Shape, coulour, nectar abundance, the time of the year and/or the day that they bloom are just some of the things plants do to get to fruiting and propagation. The chemical warfare that plants use against herbivoirs can fill several books and when all is combined into one package, I am always amazed.
This is the story of the passion vine (Passiflora sp) its bee polinators, its enemy, the heliconia plants (birds of paradise), a heliconous butterfly and the hummers.
To attract their pollinators flowers expel odors that can be pollinator specific, develope a bulls eye colour in the center of the flower to guide their insects, produce just enough nectar rewards to force pollinator to do multiple visits, fake advertizing (stop producing nectar all toghether to force the search response in its pollinators) and so on.
In the passion flower of the picture only large bees or bulky body pollinators can make pollen reach the pistils effectively. Huge black bees are few of the insects that can push the central column of the flower with their heads to reach the nectar, thus allowing the stamens to place pollen on their backs. Specific hight is important to insure pollination of the right plant, as related species could hybridize or loose their pollen where it may not be usable. So the vines are wise to their visitors. In turn some bee species scent mark productive flowers to insure their effectiveness and lower energy loss while looking for nectar.
As it turns out, passion vines are numerous in the neotropical forests. They are vital for the survival of butterflies on the genus Heliconious as their larvae use as a host species the passion vines as food. The chemicals known as cyanogenic glycosides are used by the vines to deter herbivoress from eating their leafs, however the butterfliy larvae incorporate these chemicals in their tissues to become distasteful to their predators throughout their lives, thus their brightly coloured wings. The adult butterflies visit various plant species seeking for nectar and in turn become a key for these plants survival. One of the understory plants visisted by heliconious butterflies are the heliconias. These broad leafed plants bear bracts (modified flower like leafs) that hide their flowers and serve as water resevoirs of water in the jungle. Well, hermits rely on these plants for nectar, food, water and a place where to build their nest. These pictures depict the intense inter species dependancy for the survival of plants and animals in nature.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and the story:
Pictures by Leopoldo Garcia: Bee on passion flower, heliconious caterpillars on feeding passiflora, heliconious butterfly feeding on a Haliconia Flower, Hermit Humming bird nesting under a broad leafed plant.
HERMIT HUMMINGBIRD STORY (pictures and story)
The pictures included in this story have been taken to ilustrate an event that occurs all the time, but we, in our speedy passing through nature seldom take time to see. Photography is a powerful tool to make ideas available to others. Planning your pictures towards a statement will make the difference between a pro and an amateur nature photographer.
Most plants have developed a unique relationship with their pollinators and all of them are in a continuous race in developing effective means to lower predation. When animals take advantage of both of these traits and we learn about them, we are left full of wonder.
Flowers tend to grow with features that help their would be pollinators to fertilize them. Plants have evolved myriads of strategies to take advantage of this. Shape, coulour, nectar abundance, the time of the year and/or the day that they bloom are just some of the things plants do to get to fruiting and propagation. The chemical warfare that plants use against herbivoirs can fill several books and when all is combined into one package, I am always amazed.
This is the story of the passion vine (Passiflora sp) its bee polinators, its enemy, the heliconia plants (birds of paradise), a heliconous butterfly and the hummers.
To attract their pollinators flowers expel odors that can be pollinator specific, develope a bulls eye colour in the center of the flower to guide their insects, produce just enough nectar rewards to force pollinator to do multiple visits, fake advertizing (stop producing nectar all toghether to force the search response in its pollinators) and so on.
In the passion flower of the picture only large bees or bulky body pollinators can make pollen reach the pistils effectively. Huge black bees are few of the insects that can push the central column of the flower with their heads to reach the nectar, thus allowing the stamens to place pollen on their backs. Specific hight is important to insure pollination of the right plant, as related species could hybridize or loose their pollen where it may not be usable. So the vines are wise to their visitors. In turn some bee species scent mark productive flowers to insure their effectiveness and lower energy loss while looking for nectar.
As it turns out, passion vines are numerous in the neotropical forests. They are vital for the survival of butterflies on the genus Heliconious as their larvae use as a host species the passion vines as food. The chemicals known as cyanogenic glycosides are used by the vines to deter herbivoress from eating their leafs, however the butterfliy larvae incorporate these chemicals in their tissues to become distasteful to their predators throughout their lives, thus their brightly coloured wings. The adult butterflies visit various plant species seeking for nectar and in turn become a key for these plants survival. One of the understory plants visisted by heliconious butterflies are the heliconias. These broad leafed plants bear bracts (modified flower like leafs) that hide their flowers and serve as water resevoirs of water in the jungle. Well, hermits rely on these plants for nectar, food, water and a place where to build their nest. These pictures depict the intense inter species dependancy for the survival of plants and animals in nature.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and the story:
Pictures by Leopoldo Garcia: Bee on passion flower, heliconious caterpillars on feeding passiflora, heliconious butterfly feeding on a Haliconia Flower, Hermit Humming bird nesting under a broad leafed plant.
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