The red color is actually the stain of the nectar flowing on the velvety corolla. Upon opening the color is a bit pale, but immediately produce the red color a few hours after as nectar production is immediate. Of course, insects love sipping the nectar too. The above bee cannot easily leave because of the lure of the nectar.
I stayed a few minutes taking a lot of shots of the bee. I am not disappointed in my purpose, as i am trying to find an insect with hoya pollinarium carried by their feet. This bee accidentally got the pollinarium because its feet has small hooks that stepped on the spot where the pollinaria are located. There are always 2 pollinaria in one socket, and this bee got one. If ever it injected the pollinarium to the stigma of another flower, cross pollination happens and will produce a natural hybrid. That is a wonderful outcome for a hoya grower if that happens. I hope this bee alights on more flowers of another species, to possibly pollinate them. Oh how i wish, i will say a few prayers! LOL.
Very lovely blooms
ReplyDeletemuch love...
Gorgeous captures!
ReplyDeleteFabulous ruby jewels!
ReplyDeleteYou are always showing the hoya in macro, may I request to see the plant in its full glory and not just the flower? I'm very curious, thanks.
ReplyDeleteEmma and Buster
Hello Maria, i've tagged you in my whole hoya plant posts in FB. If you are still curious, message me and i will give you all the details, hahaha. Beware of being curious with hoya, we all started that way.
DeleteHello there Andrea. The flowers on that plants look like juicy morsels for these guys. Really sweet macros of the flower and bee today. Hope you are well:) Kreesh:)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Kreesh, am great! I always smile seeing that spelling, think its a sweet name endearment, but already forgot when that first happened. I only remember you mentioned it in one of your posts years ago, don't remember why or how. But it stuck and the feeling with it seems fun and positive. Happy birding.
DeleteThese are so interesting - I don't believe I've ever seen them even in botanical gardens or greenhouses. I'd love to have one - we try to plant things that will attract bees.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-cats-of-san-juan.html
So beautiful flowers!! They look like candies)) I'm not a bee, but I want to lick it too))
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely flower - I've not seen hoyas that are so red. (Your macro work is pretty wonderful too.)
ReplyDeleteI have not seen hoyas for years! My folks used to grow them in our family home. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI really love the red of this plant almost like a juicy fruit.
ReplyDeleteWow! That is a beautiful hoya, Andrea!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for linking up with the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
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