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The dark side of milkweed pollinia
We all know about the symbiotic relationship between milkweed and monarch butterflies, but milkweed has a darker side for bees—while photographing honey bees on milkweed, one continued buzzing around a flower without moving and was clearly stuck, eventually freed only after a few frames and a careful nudge with my lens hood.
Milkweed pollination hazards
Milkweed pollinates using sticky, yellow, paddle-like structures called pollinia that can cling to a bee’s feet when it comes into contact with them; while pollinia are often pulled free and carried away, sometimes there is no escape, and insects may leave behind feet or limbs when trying to pull away, explaining why dead bees or detached legs are sometimes found on milkweed plants. (Source: UC Agriculture and Natural Resources)
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