|
The lungwort or pulmonaria that I
planted when I moved to this house five years ago has
borne fruit. Not literally, as they have only just come
into flower, but because they have achieved what I
planted them for. There was lungwort where I used to
live and their early flowers attracted flower bees. So
I planted lungwort here and flower bees have just
found it.
Flower
bees first came to my notice when I saw some strange
bumblebees visiting lungwort flowers. Their flight was
unusually fast and their 'hum' was more of a 'whine'.
There was an impression of small bumblebees on
piece-work as they rushed from flower to flower. And
there were two kinds: jet black and dingy brown. Then
I wondered why the brown bumblebees should attack the
black ones. There was something menacing about the way
that a brown bee would arrive at a lungwort clump
where a black bee was happily at work, hover for a
moment on shimmering wings, then dash at its
unsuspecting target. I could not imagine why
peace-loving, nectar-sipping bumblebees should attack
one another.
I
checked with the books and found they were, in fact,
male and female of the flower bee, and it was a close
encounter of a different kind! The male's strategy is
to fly rapidly from plant to plant in search of a
female. If he finds one, he pounces and bears her
unceremoniously to the ground. It is not surprising
that I mistook his actions for aggression.
|
