Carrion Flower (Huernia zebrina)
Succulents of the genus Huernia produce flowers which exude a strong rotten scent similar to carrion. This attracts flies, which pollinate the flowers as they search for the source of the odour.
David Midgely on Flickr
Flying Gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans)
When alarmed, the flying gurnard spreads its large pectoral fins in order to frighten off predators. Despite its name, the fish cannot glide out of water.
Beckmannjan on Wikimedia Commons
The Complex Structure of Bucket Orchids
Orchids of the genus Coryanthes have evolved along with orchid bees, and depend on each other for reproduction.
Male bees are attracted to an pheromone laced wax produced under the orchid’s helmet. The wax is stored by the male and are used in courtship. However, the helmet is slippery and bees sometimes fall into the fluid filled bucket below.
Once in the bucket, their wings are wet, which prevent them from flying. The walls of the bucket are smooth and lined with downward pointing hairs, preventing the insect from escaping through climbing. A small opening towards the front of the flower is the only way out.
As the bee climbs through the narrow opening, they must press their bodies against sticky pollen packets. These are essentially glued to the bee’s body as it tries to escape. In order for fertilisation to happen, the pollen from one plant must be transferred to the stigma of another plant.
After the bee flies off and visits another flower, it goes through a similar ordeal. This time, as it exits the bucket, the pollen packet on its back brushes past the stigma of the new flower, thus achieving pollination.
dwittkower, dogtooth77, Alex Popovkin on Flickr
Blooming of the Tisza River - The Hatch of the Mayflies
Every June, the Tisza River in Serbia and Hungary comes alive when thousands of adult giant mayflies (Palingenia longicauda) emerge all at once. The adults live for less than 24 hours and must quickly find a mate before they die.
Mayfly
Mayflies in their adult stage rarely live over 24 hours. During this time, they must find a mate and breed. Often, all the individuals in a population mature in a period of 1-2 days, dramatically increasing the chance of finding a mate.
Andres Morya on Flickr
Army Ant Bivouac
Army ants are nomads; their ferocious appetite means that they must move to new regions every few days in order not to starve. As a result, they make a temporary nest constructed out of individual ants.
Depending on the colony size, 150,000 - 700,000 worker ants link onto each other to form a structure 1m in diameter. The queen and larvae are protected near the center of the protective mass.
Geoff Gallice on Flickr
Bubble Eye Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus)
Fancy goldfish varieties are the result of the selective breeding of traits that would normally disadvantage a fish in the wild. In the safe, controlled environment of an aquarium, such traits can be proliferated and emphasised over several generations.
Lerdsuwa on Wikimedia Commons
