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Index of Subjects This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_002C_01D0BC0D.CE15B430 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Angus & All, I am guessing you mean Knapweed.=20 With respect to your comments several things come to mind; guesswork = mostly based on fragments of Plant Physiology which come to mind. =20 Low insect activity on a flower does not demonstrate an absence of = nectar or pollen. It could be due to poor availabity of one or both but = it could also be due to some other nearby plant being more attractive at = the time. If for some reason conditions for a plant are unfavorable for = growth/tissue development/metabolism (temperature, light, wind, soil = moisture, plant moistures stress...) then nectar secretion or anther = maturation may stall until conditions improve. It would be odd if they = did not. I would expect the timing of nectar secretion to parallel = gutation; i.e. periods of low moisture stress in the flower (or leaf for = gutation). Thus low insect activity may indicate being there on the = wrong day or time of day and not reflect activity in better times. I = suspect many flowers will commonly be at their peak well before noon . By the way, a good way to watch Bees sipping nectar, and thus have a = good look at their mouth parts, is to have head-high Sunflower blossoms; = no bending over and one can easily move to view the mouthparts in = profile without creating a disturbance.=20 Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville =20 ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Angus MacLean=20 To: naturens=20 Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 1:05 PM Subject: [NatureNS] Japanese Knapweed Japanese Knapweed is about 30% in bloom so since this plant is a major = attractant for insects includiing butterflies, I checked out a site on = the South Mountain (Kings) that has been productive in the past. There = were several good stands of Knapweed & about 10 fritillaries were there, = seemingly basking rather than nectaring. Sweat bees (three = sizes-different families) were numerous, Honey Bees (far from any crop = field) were also plentiful & there were a few bumble bees. There was not = a single fly!!. There were a few other butterflies. Last summer Knapweed was largely ignored by all insects & I'm not sure = what their cycle would be. I fail to understand why this plant & many = other wild plants do not produce pollen or nectar each year. Seems = counter-productive. Angus=20 No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.6081 / Virus Database: 4392/10209 - Release Date: = 07/11/15 ------=_NextPart_000_002C_01D0BC0D.CE15B430 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <STYLE>.hmmessage P { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } BODY.hmmessage { FONT-FAMILY: Calibri; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } </STYLE> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.23588"></HEAD> <BODY class=3Dhmmessage bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Hi Angus & All,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> I am guessing you mean = Knapweed.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> With respect to your comments = several=20 things come to mind; guesswork mostly based on fragments of Plant = Physiology=20 which come to mind.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> Low insect activity on a=20 flower does not demonstrate an absence of nectar or pollen. It = could be due=20 to poor availabity of one or both but it could also be due = to some=20 other nearby plant being more attractive at the time.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> If for some reason conditions = for a=20 plant are unfavorable for growth/tissue=20 development/metabolism (temperature, light, wind, soil moisture, = plant=20 moistures stress...) then nectar secretion or anther maturation may = stall=20 until conditions improve. It would be odd if they did not. I would = expect the=20 timing of nectar secretion to parallel gutation; i.e. periods of low = moisture=20 stress in the flower (or leaf for gutation). Thus low insect activity = may=20 indicate being there on the wrong day or time of day and not reflect = activity in=20 better times. I suspect many flowers will commonly be at their peak well = before=20 noon .</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> By the way, a good way to = watch Bees=20 sipping nectar, and thus have a good look at their mouth parts, is = to have=20 head-high Sunflower blossoms; no bending over and one can easily move to = view=20 the mouthparts in profile without creating a disturbance. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; = PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20 dir=3Dltr> <DIV=20 style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B>=20 <A title=3Dcold_mac@hotmail.com = href=3D"mailto:cold_mac@hotmail.com">Angus=20 MacLean</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20 href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens</A> </DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, July 11, 2015 = 1:05=20 PM</DIV> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Japanese=20 Knapweed</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV dir=3Dltr>Japanese Knapweed is about 30% in bloom so since this = plant is a=20 major attractant for insects includiing butterflies, I checked out a = site on=20 the South Mountain (Kings) that has been productive in the past. There = were=20 several good stands of Knapweed & about 10 fritillaries were = there,=20 seemingly basking rather than nectaring. Sweat bees (three = sizes-different=20 families) were numerous, Honey Bees (far from any crop field) were = also=20 plentiful & there were a few bumble bees. There was not a single = fly!!.=20 There were a few other butterflies.<BR>Last summer Knapweed was = largely=20 ignored by all insects & I'm not sure what their cycle would be. I = fail to=20 understand why this plant & many other wild plants do not produce = pollen=20 or nectar each year. Seems counter-productive.<BR>Angus = <BR><BR></DIV><A></A> <P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this=20 message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20 href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2015.0.6081 / = Virus=20 Database: 4392/10209 - Release Date: = 07/11/15</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_002C_01D0BC0D.CE15B430--
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