Jim Fowler's photos with the keyword: Halictid bee

Results of a weekend field trip to the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas in search of fall-blooming orchids and rare wildflowers. To read about this trip, please go to Jim's Blog ...

Results of a weekend field trip to the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas in search of fall-blooming orchids and rare wildflowers. To read about this trip, please go to Jim's Blog ...

Results of a weekend field trip to the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas in search of fall-blooming orchids and rare wildflowers. To read about this trip, please go to Jim's Blog ...

OK, I know, why go back again when I've already gotten so many pictures of this orchid? Well, for one, I had promised to meet a flickr friend up there -- Chris (footTRAX), from Florida. I really didn't think another wave of blooms of this orchid was possible so soon after yesterday's showing. It was threatening a rain storm with lightning in the distance, and finally it started to sprinkle. We were packing up our gear after having been there less than an hour, when Chris remarked about there being an insect on one of the flowers. Without my glasses on, I looked at it and thought it was an ant, since we had seen ants on the flowers yesterday. He took a picture of it and said that it looked like it had pollinia on its thorax. What do you know, it did have pollinia on its back, and it was a pollinator! It appeared to be a bit lethargic, possibly due to the rain that was coming down. I'm not complaining, since the other times I've tried to photograph this event, I've managed to get only out-of-focus shots because the bee was so frantic. Today's event was perfect. That's why you don't pass up an opportunity to go back to an area when you think there is no good reason! You never know what is awaiting... Thank you Chris, for first noticing this wonderful sight!

Today, Walter and I went back up to the Goodyera site in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC. I wanted to try out a new lens combination -- Sigma 105mm lens + Olympus 1.4X Teleconverter. Here are the results. The flowers are less than 1/4" across. I believe this is a pollinator for this orchid. Looks like some kind of halictid bee. It is similar to the bee that I've seen pollinating the Three-birds orchids that grow nearby. It visited about half the flowers on the bloom stem.

Today, Walter and I went back up to the Goodyera site in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, NC. I wanted to try out a new lens combination -- Sigma 105mm lens + Olympus 1.4X Teleconverter. Here are the results. The flowers are less than 1/4" across. I believe this is a pollinator for this orchid. Looks like some kind of halictid bee. It is similar to the bee that I've seen pollinating the Three-birds orchids that grow nearby. It visited about half the flowers on the bloom stem.