A leafcutter bee burrows down on to an Aptenia haeckeliana flower. This flower is similar to the aptenia cordifolia, but is pale yellow instead of magenta.
Leafcutter bee
Category Archives: Plants
Basket fern and orchid
This drynaria rigidula ‘Whitei’ basket fern was growing on a tree trunk at Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden (which has since change its name). I like basket ferns, which look like upturned umbrellas. This fern was complemented by a dinema polybulbon orchid, a delicate and fragrant epiphytic orchid that was winding it’s way up into the fern.
For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden (formerly Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden), go to htbg.com.
Abstracts: Banyan tree
A view looking up into a banyan tree. Banyans can grow to a huge size with multiple trunks and hollow interiors, and every tree has a different look.
Yucca flowers
I see this stand of yuccas on the drive into Waimea and watch for it to bloom. When it does, late afternoons are the best time for photographs so I try to remember to stop on the way back from hiking off Saddle Road or at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In this instance, it was the latter, and I was passing by around 6 pm.
Look closely at the top photo and the telescopes of Mauna Kea can be seen in the distant background, which is a bit unusual for this time of day, morning being their time to shine.
Large orange sulphur butterfly on a rose jatropha flower
I spotted this large orange sulphur butterfly feeding on rose jatropha flowers and was struck by the vivid display of colors.
Bee on a ribwort plantain
When I saw this bee I thought, I know that plant, but what’s the name of it? Well, it’s ribwort plantain, but my knowledge of it stems from many years ago when, as kids, we used to pick them, loop the stem around just below the head of the plant, and then jerk that loop forward to send the head of the plant zinging in the direction of the intended victim. It was amazing how far those heads would travel.
This bee is using the plant for more beneficial purposes.
Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Perspective.’ See more responses here.
Abstracts: A spot of orange
There could be any number of unseen creatures in this hedge, but the right (or wrong depending on how you look at it) color will be noticed instantly, as in the case of this passion vine butterfly.
Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Perspective.’ See more responses here.
Bamboo with gecko and anole
I noticed this gold dust day gecko and green anole in a stand of yellow bamboo. The gecko was just hanging out as per usual, but from the anole’s perspective it was intruding on his territory. When that happens, an anole will puff out his pink dewlap and engage in some vigorous head bobbing. This performance will put wanna-be anoles in their place, but I have yet to see it work on a gecko.
Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Perspective.’ See more responses here.
Graham's Island 