Darwin’s Day
In celebration of the 200th birthdays of both Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln, the sandpaper plant burst forth in bloom again today, this time attracting a new beetle.
The image is not as well focused as I would like, but the beetle appeared and then disappeared, never to be seen again. So this is what I got.
The other beetles, the weevils that I saw last year and also two weeks ago, returned, as did the bees. This time all insects were in much greater number – probably a thousand bees at this one plant by 7:30 in the morning. I had a harder time estimating the beetles, but there were easily twice the number that there were two weeks ago.
I do not expect this plant to produce more profuse blooms this season. Now is the time to gather all my notes and try to make sense of what went on.
In a much more humble celebration today, I launched another blog, The Accidental Botanist, where I can ramble on about plant things that are unrelated to our neotropical savanna.
I’ve never heard about this plant. Flowers are lovely. And that beetle – great shot!
Tatyana
Hi Tatyana,
Yes, this plant is found only in Central and South America, and it’s the kind of plant that probably will never be cultivated. But because it’s here, and because it is so spectacular when it does bloom, I’m becoming very attached to it.
I am going to have to find out more about that beetle.
Thanks for dropping by.
Mary
I can’t make out the beetle well enough to ID the family.
I hope you come across it again and get a good shot.
regards–ted
Too bad. I’ll keep my eye out for it. This is the first time I’ve seen it, though.