Great capture. The fluorescent bee is stunning! Dr Satish Phadke
On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 9:58 PM, Dr Pankaj Kumar <sahanipan...@gmail.com>wrote: > I can't say that this is the best picture I have taken, but just wanted to > share to emphasize the importance of study on Plant-Pollinator interactions. > > Bulbophyllum is one of the largest genera of epiphytic orchids which are > very widespread and at the same time have a very peculiar mode of > pollination by insects. The floral morphology is very diverse and so is the > odour which can be drastically bad as a rotten fish or as good as fragrance > of rose+vanilla. They dont have spur but the labellum and other part of > flowers have glands that secretes some compounds which attracts insects. > They even secrete chemicals on the labellum to attract insects. > > You may like to read this to understand more: > http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/93/5/499.full.pdf > > The pic is one of such potential pollinators on a species, Bulbophyllum > lasiochilum Parish & Rchb.f.. This is the yellow form of the species > > Implications: Plant-Pollinator study becomes very important for any > species which is assume to be rare and their existence is threatened. If > the pollinator is missing then even if the plants have no other threat, > they wont survive for long. A pollinator is must for maintaining the > genetic diversity within a species, in natural condition. Unfortunately > such studies are lacking in India and hence there is an immense need to > undertake such studies so as to design proper conservation management plans > for important plant species. > > Best regards > Pankaj > > > <https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dOvDHa_qs40/UOcCqkij-0I/AAAAAAAABcE/Mf1DczPJpHE/s1600/BULBOPHYLLUM+LASIOCHILUM.jpg> > > -- > > > > --
