When Muntingia calabura Tree Feeds Insect Pollinators
Yesterday afternoon, I took the time to visit my friend. His house is on the eastern outskirts of Lhokseumawe city. We chatted casually about this and that while sipping a cup of coffee on a bamboo lounger shaded by a Jamaican cherry tree (Muntingia calabura)—it's called kersen in Indonesia. Every now and then my eyes fell on the blooming white cherry flowers.
While we were lost in our idle chat, apparently some insect pollinators were busy sipping flowers' nectar. This prompted me to capture some photos.
About the Jamaican cherry fruit, it tastes sweet and is a favorite feed for wild birds; on the other hand, the flowers are a favorite for pollinators who are after nectar.
Some scoliid wasps (Campsomeriella collaris; Fabricius, 1775) dominate; they come to sip the sweet nectar.
Those females looked full. Who knows how many drums of nectar they've consumed. They need a break before they get back to work.
The potter wasp (Rhynchium brunneum) appears at the same time; the Jamaican cherry tree is theirs together. I noticed that none of them fight each other. Everyone gets their due.
Very nice photos.
Thanks @melibee :)
Amazing