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Courtship of Hover Flies
Posted: October 9, 2008
Serrendipity struck when I was at at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanic Garden in Kona. I saw hover flies using the flowers of Pua Kala — the Prickly Poppy — as a dramatic backdrop for their elaborate courtship.
Hover flies are not native to Hawaii but play an important role pollinating native plants.
While photographing the native prickly poppy — Pua Kala (Argemone glauca) — a fly suddenly landed and began to dance around the center of the flower.
Not long after, a female landed on the flower which motivated the male fly to quicken his pace as he danced around the center of the flower with increasing determination.
After wooing her, the male fly inched his way over, sensed her receptiveness, and jumped on the back of the female where they mate.
After several minutes a rival male lands on the flower and gesticulates frantically in an unsuccessful bid to woo the mating female away from her partner. Who would have known that the striking white flowers of Pua Kala can serve as a backdrop for such drama.
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