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| Carpenter Bee, Morocco |
It was his nature to be
solitary.
He flitted from flower to flower. Always
searching, always feeding, always alone. No hive for the likes of him.
Something.
He paused between the
flowers, testing the air for intruders.
Uncertain, he hovered,
turning first one way, then the other. A vibration ruffled his iridescent navy
blue wings. It was barely perceptible, yet it sparked a need, a longing, an
imperative.
He turned a full circle,
perplexed. The vibration receded.
A scent distracted his attention.
He descended to land on the thistle’s purple flower head. He crawled into
position and probed until his proboscis found the channel leading to the
nectar.
Now the vibration interrupted
his feeding again, so subtle he almost missed it. The imperative strengthened.
What?
He lifted away from the
thistle and turned to face the disturbance. A distant shape was coming towards
him. The imperative overcame his instinct to flee. Instead he flew directly
towards the shape, his body humming and pulsing in bewilderment and excitement.
The shape coalesced into
another Carpenter bee and when he reached her his confusion dissolved.
Their tiny bodies briefly
joined in fleeting harmony, the imperative to mate overcoming their shy
dispositions.
She immediately began to
search for suitable wood in which to drill and lay her eggs. He dutifully
followed. Soon he would have a nest to guard.
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Do let me know if you've enjoyed this and whether you'd like to read more from my Insect Mini-Series. See you next week.
