Euphorbia Pollination Blitz !

In the midst of a quite dry season, it was a pleasure to see all the Euphorbia’s around camp flowering in profusion. This particular Euphorbia is breviarticulata and it is called by the Maasai, Bobong. It is medium sized and shorter than the classic Canbelabra Euphorbia. with its quintessential shape and great mass. Still breviarticulata has a lot to say for itself, especially when it flowers, offering a nectar popular with an enormous diversity of insects that include, many kinds of bees, wasps, flies, beetles and more.

The following images I took in the course of only ten minutes and it gives you an idea of how many interesting insects are attracted to these flowers. What is so striking is that many of these bees and wasp (besides the spider hunters) are rarely encountered anywhere away from these flowers and especially when drought has discouraged so many other flowering plants. Give thanks to Euphorbia breviarticulata!