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! Despite such predation, Andrena bees and bee flies have existed to --_000_BN6PR08MB33148BFF53FF27F63BDD1B51FB100BN6PR08MB3314namp_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Crab spiders do not spin webs but rather ambush their victims. The one I sp= eak of is the Goldenrod Crab Spider which can change its colour from yellow= to white to pale green depending on the colour of the flower. Others such= as the Northern Crab Spider can do the colour trick too. Angus ________________________________ From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> on beha= lf of chris kennedy <cjkennedy66@gmail.com> Sent: April 26, 2017 10:27 PM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Re: Mayflowers open/Insect Crab spiders as in yellow-orb spiders? -->MailScanner has detected a possib= le fraud attempt from "en.wikipedia.org" claiming to be https://en.wikiped= ia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia= > [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Corn_Spider.jpg/= 220px-Corn_Spider.jpg]<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia> Argiope aurantia - Wikipedia<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia= > en.wikipedia.org The spider species Argiope aurantia is commonly known as the yellow garden = spider, black and yellow garden spider, golden garden spider, writing spide= r, corn spider ... Or a species from the Family Thomisidae --> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T= homisidae [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Ozyptila_pratico= la_-_front_%28aka%29.jpg/220px-Ozyptila_praticola_-_front_%28aka%29.jpg]<ht= tps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomisidae> Thomisidae - Wikipedia<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomisidae> en.wikipedia.org The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 175 genera and over= 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often applied to species in = this family, but ... -Chris Kennedy in Dartmouth On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 7:06 PM, Angus MacLean <Cold_Mac@hotmail.com<mailto= :Cold_Mac@hotmail.com>> wrote: Chris' link does answer some of the questions re B. major. In the Wiki arti= cle it also mentions they are great pollinators but I do not agree complete= ly with that assumption. This particular species has one of the longest pro= boscis (tongue), (size for size) in the avian world. This allows it to slur= p nectar without actually landing on the flower (e.g. coltsfoot in the spri= ng). This would seem to be a defense mechanism against crab spiders (also y= ellow) which can be very common in the spring and are a deadly predator. Before they flick their egg towards the mouth of the bee nest, they collect= dust or sand at the tip of their abdomen (where their ovipositor is) and t= hen coat the egg which adds weight to it and probably tends to also camoufl= age the egg. Researchers claim that when the egg does not land far enough into the nest,= the larva will attach itself to the bee and get a free ride to the food! D= espite such predation, Andrena bees and bee flies have existed together for= millennia. Angus ________________________________ From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> <= naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>> on beh= alf of chris kennedy <cjkennedy66@gmail.com<mailto:cjkennedy66@gmail.com>> Sent: April 25, 2017 10:30 AM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Re: Mayflowers open/Insect They parasitize the bees. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombylius_major [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Grosser_Wollschw= eber_Bombylius_major.jpg/220px-Grosser_Wollschweber_Bombylius_major.jpg]<ht= tps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombylius_major> Bombylius major - Wikipedia<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombylius_major> en.wikipedia.org<http://en.wikipedia.org> The Large Bee-fly, Bombylius major, is a bee mimic. The eggs are flicked by= the adult female toward the entrance of the underground nests of solitary = bees and wasps. On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 9:00 AM, Randy Lauff <randy.lauff@gmail.com<mailto:= randy.lauff@gmail.com>> wrote: What happens when the eggs hatch, Angus? Do the maggots parasitize the bees= , or are they nest parasites...something else? Randy _________________________________ RF Lauff Way in the boonies of Antigonish County, NS. On 24 April 2017 at 20:11, Angus MacLean <Cold_Mac@hotmail.com<mailto:Cold_= Mac@hotmail.com>> wrote: As Phil states, all the marks suggest a Bee Fly, B. major. Usually out very= early. At this time of year it lays its eggs at the entrance to nests of A= ndrena bees. Angus ________________________________ From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> <= naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>> on beh= alf of James Hirtle <jrhbirder@hotmail.com<mailto:jrhbirder@hotmail.com>> Sent: April 24, 2017 5:03 PM To: Naturens Naturens Subject: [NatureNS] Mayflowers open/Insect Hi all: I photographed some mayflowers fully open today at New Cumberland. Had my = first wood tick crawling on my ear also. It's in two pieces now. I had an interesting insect that was feeding at the mayflowers. It looks l= ike a bee, but when feeding more like a hummingbird moth. It is tinier tho= ugh. The purtubance that goes into the flower is long and pointy. I have = a good picture of this. I believe it might be a sweat bee, but if anyone w= ould like to see the photo and can give me a positive ID it would be apprec= iated. James R. Hirtle LaHave --_000_BN6PR08MB33148BFF53FF27F63BDD1B51FB100BN6PR08MB3314namp_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-= 1"> <style type=3D"text/css" style=3D"display:none;"><!-- P {margin-top:0;margi= n-bottom:0;} --></style> </head> <body dir=3D"ltr"> <div id=3D"divtagdefaultwrapper" style=3D"font-size:12pt;color:#000000;font= -family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" dir=3D"ltr"> <p>Crab spiders do not spin webs but rather ambush their victims. The one I= speak of is the Goldenrod Crab Spider which can change its colour from