Okay, boys, listen up!
You're the Lucky Seven!
Count yourselves. There are seven of you--seven male Melissodes agilis bees--sleeping on a single spent Mexican sunflower blossom (Tithonia rotundifola).
Do you know how lucky you are?
No, not that you escaped the hungry flameskimmer dragonfly patrolling the yard on July 7. Or the cunning spider building its web.
You're the Lucky Seven!
Forget the Seven Deadly Sins, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Seven Wonders of the World, Seven Seas, Seven Continents and Seven Days of the Week. Forget about Willie Nelson singing "Seven Spanish Angels." Forget about the time that George Constanza suggested a baby be named "Seven" in Season 7 of Seinfeld. See? Seven. Season 7. Seinfeld.
Yes, fellas, you "bee" the Lucky 7.
Your cluster grew to seven last night as you slumbered away on Cloud Nine, no predators in sight.
Seventh Heaven!
Attached Images:
The Lucky Seven: seven male Melissodes agilis bees sleeping on a spent Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bird's eye-view of the Lucky Seven in the Tithonia patch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The boys (Melissodes agilis) begin to stir after the Boys' Night Out slumber party. Males of this species sleep out at night while the females return to their nests.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)