Pollinators hard at work!
Category: Bees, Butterflies, Culture, Ecology, Flies, Forests, Moths, Pollination | Date: Nov 17 2009 | By: dududiaries
Pollinators hard at work!
“One in three bites of food can be attributed to a pollinator”. This statement is often quoted by biologists around the world when talking about pollinators and their importance to our lives.
In Africa pollinators are primarily wild insects that travel between farms and natural habitat, and are extremely vulnerable to habitat loss and destruction.
Pollinators intimately link wild species with basic human livelihoods. The relationships between insects and flowers are at once ancient, beautifully intricate and correspondingly fragile.
These intricate and essential links between wild species, natural areas and food production were beautifully evident on a recent visit I paid to a farmer in Western Kenya. Lucy Murira grows a wide range of vegetables and fruits for her family. Her farm is located in the Nandi Hills nestled between tea plantations and forest patches. It is these forest patches that provide the pollinators for Lucy’s crops. Below is a short video showing some of the crops and pollinators on Lucy’s farm. (Please forgive the sloppiness of this video - it is my first attempt at doing this!)
As mentioned in the video, one of the important and nutritious crops growing on this farm is ‘Njahe’ a local variety of blackbean. It is a verdant climber with lovely pinky-lilac flowers.
The main pollinators of the blackbean here appear to be wild bees, including these lovely, robust and fast-flying carpenter bees.
Without the pollinating visits of these hardworking bees, there would be no pods to harvest.
One of the other crops growing here that benefits from pollination is the butterbean. As Lucy says, these are really yummy (in fact one of my favourites!). Skipper butterflies and bees were pollinating the butterbeans on this farm. All of them need the patches of forest to survive.
Pollinators need a clean, safe and pesticide-free environment to survive. Lucy’s farm is filled with a huge number of different pollinating insects. Not only were pollinating insects thriving on the farm, we even found this little reed frog dozing among the tendrils of the butterbeans!
More from the wonderful world of bugs soon!
Tags: Bees, Butterflies, dino j. martins, food security, indigenous vegetables, Kenya, pollinators
Hints of life…
Category: Butterflies, Ecology | Date: Nov 10 2009 | By: dududiaries
Dear All, thanks for your comments and interest in the world of bugs. Was just down in the Rift Valley at Olorgesailie where it is still so dry, dry, dry. Found one tiny bedraggled Grewia bush in flower, with a couple of tiny lycaenids and an interesting day-flying moth visiting the flowers…
Happy little Buffs…
Category: Ants, Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Nov 02 2009 | By: dududiaries
Hello!
Sorry for not posting more often – have been really busy chasing after bugs now that the rains have started and they are popping out all over the place!
Many, many thanks to everyone for their kind comments on the blog post ‘Ants in the dust’. I will try and post a link to the BBC piece on it when I can figure out the technical side of it today or tomorrow.
A couple of days ago in a tiny forest fragment near Nairobi I spotted these little beauties whirling about some buds. From a distance they looked like tiny little orange flames dancing in the dappled light. On taking a closer look I saw that they were tiny orange and brown lycaenid butterflies.
Known as ‘Buffs’, these tiny jewels are part of a large and diverse group of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. This species is Baliochila fragilis – an apt name for their delicate build. The caterpillars of these butterflies feed on lichens, often high up in the forest trees, so it was interesting to find them hovering about near the ground.
Looking closely at the butterflies perching on the buds of the Chlorophytum, I noticed that there were a lot of ants running up and down the buds too. And then I noticed that the butterflies had their tiny proboscis unfurled and were feeding from in between the young buds. These buds secrete extra-floral nectar which is intended to attract ants that then patrol the buds and protect them from would-be nibblers of the insect-kind. However, as the butterflies posed no threat the flowers, the ants seemed to tolerate them.
In fact, the butterflies were so relaxed that quite a few of the males were courting the females. The pair in the video clip below show the typical interaction. The male sidles up to the female. She rejects him with a flick of her wings and moves on trying to keep feeding. He follows her and flicks his own wings at her trying to win her over… She rejects him and keeps on moving… the cycle is repeated over and over again. I guess eventually some of the most perseverant males win one of the females over!
More from the wonderful world of bugs soon!
Tags: Ants, Baliochila, Butterflies, Dino Martins, lepidoptera, lycaenidae, Technomyrmex
More butterfly eyes!
Category: Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Oct 06 2009 | By: dududiaries
Dear AllSorry for not posting more - have been travelling - lots to share, just working on getting it all sorted. In the mean time here are some more close-ups of butterfly eyes - enjoy - the Emperor Butterflies below are particularly striking! The first one is a close-up of the Green-Veined Emperor, and the second is of a Black-and-White Charaxes. These are both fast-flying denizens that sweep through the forest canopy at high speeds and rarely venture down close to us mere mortals unless drawn by the scent of some rotting fruit or something even more appetizing like carrion!
Tags: Butterflies, charaxes, Dino Martins, eyes, lepidoptera, proboscis
Butterfly eyes…
Category: Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Sep 12 2009 | By: dududiaries
Dear All, thanks for your kind comments about the Butterflion. If you are in Nairobi please go and visit him at the Sarit Centre outside the Text Book Centre. Here are some close-up pictures of butterflies that I took over the last couple of days. The pictures show their amazing compound eyes and mouthparts - which consist of a long tubular proboscis. More soon - enjoy the weekend!
Tags: Butterflies, butterflion, calotropis, Dino Martins, lepidoptera, papilio dardanus., pride of kenya
‘Robber’ attacks the Butterflion
Category: Butterflies, Culture, Ecology, Flies | Date: Sep 01 2009 | By: dududiaries
As I was putting the final touches to the Butterflion a few days ago before he was picked up by the people from Born Free, I noticed that there was a strange fellow hanging around the lion’s painted mane.
He swished back and forth in a very suspicious manner. I decided to stand as still as possible and watch to see who this interloper was. After several tense seconds, he showed himself, pouncing on one of the butterflies painted on the lion’s mane!
Stunned, as this butterfly was not a juicy piece of prey but a layer of acrylic pigment on some rather hard fibre-glass, the attacker sat there and obligingly let me take his picture. This is a Robber-Fly, a common predatory insect that often seizes butterflies from the air and when they perch. However, this time he was fooled!
More soon – the launch of the lions takes place tomorrow morning and I will be there. Many thanks to everyone for their kind comments especially Dana, Christine, Tonee and Sheryl.
Tags: , born free, butterfly, Dino Martins, pride of kenya, Robber-fly
Meet the Butterflion!!
Category: Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Aug 26 2009 | By: dududiaries
Hello!I’ve been meaning to share what I’ve been up to over the past few days. I have been painting a lion for the Pride of Kenya event, which is being organised by the Born Free foundation to raise awareness about the plight of Kenya’s lions and the need for their conservation.
Of course as an insect-lover you can guess what I painted on my lion…
The entire surface of the lion is covered in details from Kenyan butterflies and a few other bugs. There are a couple of pollinators – who are some of my favourite organisms and so important to farming and the survival of ecosystems.
There are also a few ticks and ants hidden here and there on the lion. This will be a small fun activity for children to locate all the ticks and ants that are on the lion.Painting one of the butterflies was done in honour of George Adamson and his incredible work for lion conservation throughout his life. The small, humble blue butterfly in the middle of the picture below is of a species that was found at Kora, where George Adamson lived his last years. This butterfly had been named in honour of him, Leptotes adamsoni.
I’ve gotten several requests for better views of the lion. Therefore, here is my amateur attempt at this by taking a video while walking around the lion and the result is below. Please enjoy the Butterflion and in appreciating the beauty and intricacy of these creatures spare a thought for all the wonderful animals and plants that we share the planet with and who need all the help they can get today to survive. And remember, without them our own survival on this fragile planet is tenuous.
Tags: born free, butterfly, Dino Martins, Kenya, lion, pride of kenya
Ant and caterpillar battle…
Category: Ants, Butterflies, Culture, Ecology | Date: Aug 04 2009 | By: dududiaries
The Ant and the Caterpillar
On a recent trip to the Kenyan coast I was wandering down a path and noticed a bright purple blob ambling along beside me. I looked down and admired the plump, brightly coloured caterpillar wondering what butterfly or moth it might eventually turn into.
As I watched it making its way down the path, I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye. I was not the only one who had spotted the caterpillar.
A large Stink Ant, a common predator of the coastal forests, was also making its way towards the caterpillar. The ant appraised the caterpillar briefly before running up and grabbing it with its large, sharp and serrated mandibles. The caterpillar twitched back and forth, but could not free itself. Now the Stink Ant curved her abdomen forward and delivered a powerful sting to the caterpillar.
The hapless caterpillar continued to struggle while the Stink Ant clung on tenaciously with its powerful jaws.
As the caterpillar tried to free itself, another tiny ant ran up briefly to the pair engaged in battle. It drummed its antennae against the caterpillar then, likely sensing the presence of the other larger Stink Ant, ran away as fast as its little legs could carry it! It looked like the smaller ant was fleeing, but little did any of us; caterpillar, Stink Ant or yours truly know what was in store…
The Stink Ant and the caterpillar continued to battle on. At one point the caterpillar tried twisting around to grab hold of its tormentor. However, the clever Stink Ant clung on with its jaws, while carefully holding its legs back so that the caterpillar could not get a hold. The caterpillar’s small weak jaws were no match for the ants’ jaws and venom anyway.
After what seemed like an eternity of twenty-seven minutes, the caterpillar began to weaken. No doubt the venom delivered by the Stink Ant’s powerful sting was beginning to take effect. The caterpillar acquiesced to its fate and allowed the Stink Ant to drag it down the path deeper into the forest.
At this point, my camera battery ran flat. I rushed back to the house flailing about for a spare battery. I quickly changed it and rushed back to down the path to where I had left the caterpillar and the Stink Ant.
For a moment, I couldn’t find them and my heart sank. I so wanted to see the battle through to its end. Then I noticed a frenetic struggle going on at the edge of the path. On closer inspection, it proved to the be the same caterpillar now being devoured by hundreds of Big-Headed Ants!
The tiny ant who had visited the battling pair earlier on was no shy wanderer. It was a sneaky spy! That little ant was a foraging scout, sent out by the colony in search of potential food. She had summoned her sisters and here they were now carting off the caterpillar! The Big Headed ants have several worker castes, as you can see from the picture, including ones with massive heads and jaws. These individuals with extra-large heads and jaws are known as ‘majors’.
As I wondered what had happened to the Stink Ant, who had worked so hard for her supper, I noticed another pile of Big Headed ants battling away a couple of feet from me. On closer inspection it turned out to be the Stink Ant being devoured herself!
As I noticed this several of the Big Headed ants had by now found their way up my sandals onto my feet. As one of the ‘majors’ sank its jaws into my skin I leapt back, brushed them off and made my way down the path appreciating the fact that nature is truly ‘red in tooth and claw’!
More pollinator diversity…
Category: Bees, Butterflies, Culture, Ecology, Flies, Forests, Hoverfly, Moths, Orchid, Pollination | Date: Jul 15 2009 | By: dududiaries
Vanishing bees?
Category: Bees, Butterflies, Ecology, Flies, Hoverfly, Pollination | Date: Jun 25 2009 | By: dududiaries
Hello - here is a response to the recent question about the disappearance of honeybees in Europe and North America. This phenomenon has been called Colony Collapse Disorder, also known as CCD, is a mysterious and widespread phenomenon of the sudden disappearance of entire colonies of honeybees from their hives and the environment.
CAUSES
No single cause of CCD that has been identified by scientists, and speculation as to the ultimate reason for this dramatic loss of honeybees is rife. Many scientists seem to be moving towards a consensus that this may not be the result of a single factor, but more due to the cumulative effects of a number of things, including:
Nosema – this is a vicious little parasite that infects the honeybee gut. It is related to fungi-like organisms and similarly to the human gut pathogen Giardia, and has an equally debilitating effect on honeybees. Infection leaves honeybee colonies weakened and vulnerable to other parasites. Scientists have tracked its spread through honeybee colonies in Asia, Europe and North America over the last few years.
Pesticides – a number of pesticides are especially toxic to bees, even in very low doses. They are designed after all to kill insects, and honeybees are insects just like the pests the chemicals target. Some pesticides impair the honeybees’ learning ability and others affect their orientation and navigation leading to a breakdown of the colony over time through repeated exposure.
Mites and viruses – The mite, Varroa destructor, and the many associated viruses it transmits to honeybee colonies are one likely cause of the demise. Some farmers have resorted to treating mite infestations with chemicals that have also accumulated to levels that affect the honeybees.
Electromagnetic radiation – there is little evidence for this apart from one study that embedded receivers inside hives. Emanating from cellular-phone and other telecommunication devices these waves are thought to disorient bees.
Genetically-modified crops – again here there are no direct studies. A number of GMO crops produce toxins engineered from bacteria and if these are present in the pollen it could affect foraging honeybees.
Bad beekeeping – one characteristic of the modern honeybee industry in the developed world is the trucking around of thousands upon thousand of colonies. These are often mixed and housed in close proximity allowing for the transmission of diseases.
Climate change – again here there’s no direct evidence. Colonies that were overwintering now run out of food stores as erratic weather patterns play havoc with flowering cycles and nectar flows.
EFFECTS
The full effects of the disappearance of honeybees are yet to come. Bees and other pollinating insects are responsible for one in three bites of food. Some of the effects witnessed so far include:
Loss of almond pollination ‘services’ in the Western United States. Some 90 % of the world’s almonds are grown in California. The almond trees flower early in spring and require pollination by honeybees trucked in from far and wide. Due to the lack of honeybees for commercial pollination of the crops, the production of almonds has dropped significantly.
The 100 million sterling-pound plus contribution made by honeybees to the UK’s economy was dented severely this past Christmas season as there was virtually no British honey on supermarket shelves. The UK has seen some two-thirds of its honeybee colonies vanish and the remaining ones are stressed and weak. Frighteningly there’s evidence emerging now that bumblebees too are starting to go the same way as honeybees!
Honeybees have featured recently in the politics of economic recovery as both the Europeans and the Americans have included honeybees and pollination services as part of their studies and strategies towards overcoming the current financial global crisis. While this has attracted ridicule of the Obama administration by political opportunists, who are laughing at this as ‘frivolous’, many people, including some of the world’s leading scientists are begging politicians and decision-makers to take an interest in solving this problem.
Is there hope?
Yes – there is evidence that with help some honeybee colonies can recover. Also, a little known fact is that there are thousands upon thousands of other pollinators available and working hard on our farms. We need to understand and protect these overlooked creatures as we work towards a solution for the current honeybee crisis.
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