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Hi Angus & All,
I am guessing you mean Knapweed.=20
With respect to your comments several things come to mind; guesswork =
mostly based on fragments of Plant Physiology which come to mind.
=20
Low insect activity on a flower does not demonstrate an absence of =
nectar or pollen. It could be due to poor availabity of one or both but =
it could also be due to some other nearby plant being more attractive at =
the time.
If for some reason conditions for a plant are unfavorable for =
growth/tissue development/metabolism (temperature, light, wind, soil =
moisture, plant moistures stress...) then nectar secretion or anther =
maturation may stall until conditions improve. It would be odd if they =
did not. I would expect the timing of nectar secretion to parallel =
gutation; i.e. periods of low moisture stress in the flower (or leaf for =
gutation). Thus low insect activity may indicate being there on the =
wrong day or time of day and not reflect activity in better times. I =
suspect many flowers will commonly be at their peak well before noon .
By the way, a good way to watch Bees sipping nectar, and thus have a =
good look at their mouth parts, is to have head-high Sunflower blossoms; =
no bending over and one can easily move to view the mouthparts in =
profile without creating a disturbance.=20
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Angus MacLean=20
To: naturens=20
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 1:05 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Japanese Knapweed
Japanese Knapweed is about 30% in bloom so since this plant is a major =
attractant for insects includiing butterflies, I checked out a site on =
the South Mountain (Kings) that has been productive in the past. There =
were several good stands of Knapweed & about 10 fritillaries were there, =
seemingly basking rather than nectaring. Sweat bees (three =
sizes-different families) were numerous, Honey Bees (far from any crop =
field) were also plentiful & there were a few bumble bees. There was not =
a single fly!!. There were a few other butterflies.
Last summer Knapweed was largely ignored by all insects & I'm not sure =
what their cycle would be. I fail to understand why this plant & many =
other wild plants do not produce pollen or nectar each year. Seems =
counter-productive.
Angus=20
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2015.0.6081 / Virus Database: 4392/10209 - Release Date: =
07/11/15
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<BODY class=3Dhmmessage bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Hi Angus & All,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> I am guessing you mean =
Knapweed.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> With respect to your comments =
several=20
things come to mind; guesswork mostly based on fragments of Plant =
Physiology=20
which come to mind.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> Low insect activity on a=20
flower does not demonstrate an absence of nectar or pollen. It =
could be due=20
to poor availabity of one or both but it could also be due =
to some=20
other nearby plant being more attractive at the time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> If for some reason conditions =
for a=20
plant are unfavorable for growth/tissue=20
development/metabolism (temperature, light, wind, soil moisture, =
plant=20
moistures stress...) then nectar secretion or anther maturation may =
stall=20
until conditions improve. It would be odd if they did not. I would =
expect the=20
timing of nectar secretion to parallel gutation; i.e. periods of low =
moisture=20
stress in the flower (or leaf for gutation). Thus low insect activity =
may=20
indicate being there on the wrong day or time of day and not reflect =
activity in=20
better times. I suspect many flowers will commonly be at their peak well =
before=20
noon .</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> By the way, a good way to =
watch Bees=20
sipping nectar, and thus have a good look at their mouth parts, is =
to have=20
head-high Sunflower blossoms; no bending over and one can easily move to =
view=20
the mouthparts in profile without creating a disturbance. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dcold_mac@hotmail.com =
href=3D"mailto:cold_mac@hotmail.com">Angus=20
MacLean</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, July 11, 2015 =
1:05=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Japanese=20
Knapweed</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>Japanese Knapweed is about 30% in bloom so since this =
plant is a=20
major attractant for insects includiing butterflies, I checked out a =
site on=20
the South Mountain (Kings) that has been productive in the past. There =
were=20
several good stands of Knapweed & about 10 fritillaries were =
there,=20
seemingly basking rather than nectaring. Sweat bees (three =
sizes-different=20
families) were numerous, Honey Bees (far from any crop field) were =
also=20
plentiful & there were a few bumble bees. There was not a single =
fly!!.=20
There were a few other butterflies.<BR>Last summer Knapweed was =
largely=20
ignored by all insects & I'm not sure what their cycle would be. I =
fail to=20
understand why this plant & many other wild plants do not produce =
pollen=20
or nectar each year. Seems counter-productive.<BR>Angus =
<BR><BR></DIV><A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this=20
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2015.0.6081 / =
Virus=20
Database: 4392/10209 - Release Date: =
07/11/15</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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