The working title of this piece is 'Aircraft wreckage. Or how someone left Marmalade smeared on my radishes. An example of the ineffectiveness of Batesian mimicry'. Snappy huh?
I'm finding this comment a bit too cryptic for my slow understanding, @wild edges Could you please explain what we see on the pic and enlighten me on the "marmalade-cum-radishes" combo? Thanks!
'Batesian mimicry' I got the definition from the Web.
It's the remains of a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), just the tip of the thorax but the moustachey pattern is fairly distinctive. It looks like a bird (or maybe Paddington bear) has eaten the rest and left the inedible bits scattered among my radish plants. The pattern mimics stinging wasps to deter predators but the bird must have been doing his homework.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
The working title of this piece is 'Aircraft wreckage. Or how someone left Marmalade smeared on my radishes. An example of the ineffectiveness of Batesian mimicry'. Snappy huh?
I'm finding this comment a bit too cryptic for my slow understanding, @wild edges Could you please explain what we see on the pic and enlighten me on the "marmalade-cum-radishes" combo? Thanks!
'Batesian mimicry' I got the definition from the Web.
It's the remains of a Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), just the tip of the thorax but the moustachey pattern is fairly distinctive. It looks like a bird (or maybe Paddington bear) has eaten the rest and left the inedible bits scattered among my radish plants. The pattern mimics stinging wasps to deter predators but the bird must have been doing his homework.
Or perhaps a young bird that is yet to learn about warning colours?
GemmaJF Or perhaps a young bird that is yet to learn about warning colours?
Good question. I always assumed it worked on a sort of race memory basis but I bet there's been a lot of research to find out which it is. I'm still not ruling out Paddington though.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
GemmaJF Or perhaps a young bird that is yet to learn about warning colours?
Good question. I always assumed it worked on a sort of race memory basis but I bet there's been a lot of research to find out which it is. I'm still not ruling out Paddington though.
Yes for sure a topic of ongoing research. There was a study of great tits that showed they were learning from each other. If one bird avoided a new type of prey, others would avoid it also!
Yes for sure a topic of ongoing research. There was a study of great tits that showed they were learning from each other. If one bird avoided a new type of prey, others would avoid it also!
My guess was a Great Tit that got this one. I read they're a real problem for bumblebees in some areas and have learned to avoid getting stung. Maybe the tail was left because they thought it was a wasp and removed it to get rid of the sting.
As an aside I was reading this blog about capitalisation of species names last week. I'm never sure which is the accepted way to do it but Great Tits seem to be a prime example of possible confusion
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Yes for sure a topic of ongoing research. There was a study of great tits that showed they were learning from each other. If one bird avoided a new type of prey, others would avoid it also!
My guess was a Great Tit that got this one. I read they're a real problem for bumblebees in some areas and have learned to avoid getting stung. Maybe the tail was left because they thought it was a wasp and removed it to get rid of the sting.
As an aside I was reading this blog about capitalisation of species names last week. I'm never sure which is the accepted way to do it but Great Tits seem to be a prime example of possible confusion
That was a good read, what with a thread just started on butt water and great tits, people could be forgiven for wondering what we all get up to on here.
Posts
"The great tit (Parus major) is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae."