Fast Food for Insects

● Insects readily feast on quick, high-calorie food. A convenient source is a flower head. Like fast-food chains, flowers advertise their presence with bright colors. Finding the flowers attractive, insects alight on the flowers, where they can munch on pollen or sip nectar.

Being particularly sluggish after a cool night, these cold-blooded creatures need the sun’s energy to get going. Many flowers offer the insects a complete package​—nutritious food and a place to bask in the sun. Let’s take a look at a familiar example.

The oxeye daisy is a common flower that grows throughout much of Europe and North America. It may not seem special, but if you take the time to inspect it, you will see a lot of activity. This daisy offers an ideal place for insects to start the day. The white petals reflect the sun’s warmth, and the yellow center offers a good resting place where insects can soak up solar energy.a

To make the visit even more appetizing, the center of the daisy is replete with pollen and nectar, nutritious foods that many insects thrive on. What better place could an insect find for having a good breakfast and enjoying the sun?

Thus, a whole parade of insects alight on oxeye daisies during the course of the day. You may spot beetles, colorful butterflies, shield bugs, crickets, and flies of every sort. Of course, if you are not observant, you may never notice these fascinating insect “fast-food chains.”

Therefore, the next time you are in the countryside, why not make an effort to examine some of these inconspicuous daisy ecosystems? If you do, the experience is likely to enhance your appreciation for the Creator who designed them all.

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