Insects and Spiders

Taking a Shortcut

She is too big to crawl down inside the flower to get nectar. So she cheats and drills a hole thru the base of the flower to the nectar pool. She feeds without pollinating the flower. Scientists call this behavior nectar robbing. It's ok, she pollinates bigger flowers that she can fit into. And many other smaller insects pollinate this salvia at other times.
Female Southern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa micans)
Salvia x greggii ‘Raspberry Delight’

Southern Carpenter Beecarpenter beeXylocopa micansbeebuginsectwhite rock lakedallas texaswalking pathspillwayfemale beefemale carpenter beeFemale Southern Carpenter BeepollinatornectarSalvia x greggii Raspberry Delightsalviared salviaclose upfeeding adaptationfeedingnectar robbing