It was a hot afternoon and the flowers of my Bush Grape (Cayratia mollissima) were covered with Common Honey Bees (Apis cerana). They were mainly collecting nectar from the flowers, as seen from their empty pollen baskets.
An earlier post shows these bees as well as Dwarf Honey Bees (Apis andreniformis) hovering around the flowers of this plant.
YC Wee
Singapore
19th April 2017
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3 responses
YC, have you spotted any butterflies visiting the flowers of Cayratia mollissima yet? The flowering heads look very similar to the Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica), which is a popular butterfly nectaring plant. So this Bush Grape could be another nice addition to their nectaring plants. 🙂
I have only observed a few curious passers-by taking the fruits. Definitely not a second time after the agony they went through. Other than this, have yet to see any birds, squirrels, etc eating the fruits. They just dropped to the ground when ripe. Also, no butterflies, moths, etc. – either taking the nectar or their caterpillars eating the leaves. Only bees visit the flowers for the nectar and pollen.
Thanks, YC. So this plant is probably not as attractive to butterflies.