I took the Stapelia flower outside yesterday, partly looking for pollinators, and partly to air out the living room, as the flower was getting a bit too powerful. Despite the wind and cool temperatures, I had blow flies within a few minutes. Although two species of calliphorids arrived promptly, only one held still enough for photographs. Unfortunately, no oviposition occurred. One of the flies rode indoors with the plant, and when I checked this evening, it had expired. Perhaps it was fatally entangled by the long, resinous red hairs inside the blossom. Life is full of unanticipated hazards.
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