因为在这边我花不少时间等蜜蜂， 等到每年的花都谢了， 也没有。 在南昌， 很多蜜蜂采， 原来以为是同一个种， 后来发现是不同的。 但是好像没有拍到意蜂采中华紫荆。 请植物学家斧正Citation: Huang, Z.Y. 2014. Asian honey bees foraging on Chinese redbud tree flowers. <span id="sample-permalink" tabindex="-1">http://bees.msu.edu/2014/<span id="editable-post-name" title="Click to edit this part of the permalink">redbud</span>/</span>. Accessed {date of your visit}. Published May 13, 2014 Zachary Huang, Michigan State University Eastern redbud trees are blooming, one right in front of the building where my lab and office are located, the Giltner Hall. Eastern redbud is a legume (Fabaceae), named <em>Cercis canadensis, </em>(so technically it should be called Canadian redbud!). Wiki says "The flowers are pollinated by long-tongued bees such as blueberry bees and carpenter bees. Short-tongued bees apparently cannot reach the nectaries." Although I am not sure if Michigan has these "blueberry bees" (<span dir="auto"><i>Osmia atriventris</i></span>), I have indeed trying to observe, wait and pray, a honeybee would show up so I can snap a nice photo of them; to no avail. Because the flowers are pretty in the spring! I have seen bumble bees and solitary bees on these flowers but not a honey bee yet. Then in Australia, in one botanic garden, I did see a honey bee visiting this flower. I remember (if correctly) that the tree was the same species, <em>Cercis canadensis</em>. Then in China, May of 2012, I saw many bees visiting a redbud tree -- they looked almost the same as our trees here. But some research turned out that it is a different species: the Chinese redbud,<em> Cercis chinensis</em>. I am sure I also have taken photos of <em>Apis mellifer</em>a foraging on this species, the photos I found on April 2, 2012, are only of<em> Apis cerana</em>, which is the sister species of our bees. Because the Asian honey bees are slightly smaller than our bees (5-40% smaller, depending on location), I assume they should have shorter tongues too, so the Chinese redbuds must have much shorter flower tubes or unless the bees are only foraging for pollen. I need to dissect some flowers of ours to see if our bees can reach their pollen or not.1. An eastern redbud tree at MSU. This one has a halictid bee (Halictidae) foraging on it. You would think honey bees should have similar tongue length? Shot April 29, 2007. Nikon D80, 70-300mm lens at 300mm. So she must be really high up on the tree.
2. A close up of the same bee, perhaps. She has lots of pollen on her legs. She must also have pollen baskets?
3. The first honey bee I saw on redbud tree flowers, in Australia. I assume it is the same species as ours. Sept 13, 2007. Nikon D80.
4. Now the Chinese redbud. The flowers seems to be slightly more purple. But it would be just my camera was not white balanced correctly. All by NIkon D700 and Nikkor 105 mm macro.
5. A closer look at the flowers. You can see one bee near the center.
7. She is loaded with pollen, I assume she is trying to reach the nectar also here. But without seeing her tongue (proboscis), it is difficult to tell. She could also just trying to bite the anthers to release pollen.
8. A hovering bee.
In summary, it seems the Chinese redbud tree may play a role in providing at least pollen to honey bees (I thought I have also Apis mellifera foraging on them, but today I tried my best and did not find them. So I conclude I have one single photo of a A. mellifera on redbud!), but for our species here, it does not attract honey bees. References: Wiki, 2014. Cercis canadensis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_canadensis. Accessed May 12, 2014. Wiki, 2014. Cercis chinensis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_chinensis. Accessed May 12, 2014. |
ms_lt: 这种长在树干上的花，给人一种皮肤上长癞的感觉， 难怪小蜜不喜欢， 我也不喜欢!
ms_lt: 这种长在树干上的花，给人一种皮肤上长癞的感觉， 难怪小蜜不喜欢， 我也不喜欢!
ms_lt: 这种长在树干上的花，给人一种皮肤上长癞的感觉， 难怪小蜜不喜欢， 我也不喜欢!
ms_lt: 我只是理解一下小蜜， 不行吗？
waspking: 难道你是小蜜啊？
ms_lt: 这种长在树干上的花，给人一种皮肤上长癞的感觉， 难怪小蜜不喜欢， 我也不喜欢!
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6. An Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) on Chinese redbud tree flowers.
