Mites? on hummingbird beaks

[Richard Zander]

Well, how about pollinia of some sort?

_______________________
Richard H. Zander
Missouri Botanical Garden
PO Box 299
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299
Email: richard.zander at mobot.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Neill, Amanda [SMTP:aneill at NYBG.ORG]
> Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 9:22 AM
> To:   TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
> Subject:      Re: [TAXACOM] Mites? on hummingbird beaks
> 
> Could a tick hitch a ride on the outside of a hummingbird's beak?  This
> sort
> of looks like a tick, though I'm not sure how it would hold on.  Nice
> photos.
> 
> Amanda Neill
> 
> 
> >>>>>>>
> Dear everybody, 
> On pictures taken of hummingbirds visiting feeders in Monteverde, 
> Costa Rica small reddish objects can be seen on the beaks of two 
> males. I have heard of mites transporting themselves between flowers 
> by hitchhiking with flower-visiting animals, but I am not able to see 
> any legs on these objects. Other explanations could be anthers from 
> previously visited flowers or some mould colony from the sugar 
> solution in the feeder. Can somebody with more experience help me? 
> You find the pictures at 
> http://arbetsplats.slu.se:4032/Shared%20Documents/1422Mite and 
> http://arbetsplats.slu.se:4032/Shared%20Documents/1421Mite 
> 
> Thanks in advance 
> B?rge Pettersson