Lying on a trail through a prairie restoration at the UI Pollinatarium, looking up:
The plants are big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and partridge pea (Chamaechrista fasciculata).
photo details:
Canon EOS 7D camera
Canon EF17-40 f/4L lens
ISO 100 f8.0 1/500 sec
Nice view – something you can’t do in the short or even mid-grass prairie. The mimosa-like leaves had me flummoxed for a bit, until I realized I had learned them as Cassia.
Thanks for the link to the Pollinitarium too. Nice to see such pollinator-oriented sites springing up everywhere (although I bet Federal money helps – it certainly did here). I spent much of the weekend trying to identify my backyard Bombus from photos using the British Museum Lucid key, Discover Life key, and BugGuide: at least 6 species, including four of Pyrobombus. However, I will probably need to collect drones of all to be sure. Still, compared to a couple of years ago, pollinator identification is now far more tractable.
Yes, Dave — The erstwhile Cassia has been divided up, those remaining in Cassia being woody and tropical, and the herbaceous ones now residing in Chamaecrista and Senna.
Very cool shot, Alex!
And Dave, if your bout of flummox reoccurs, I think they now have a cream for that. 🙂