5°° 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol.XII,No.6, 
SOME ENTOMOPHILOUS FLOWERS OF CEDAR POINT, 
OHIO. 
Allen C. Conger. 
In a region with such a diverse flora, and where even the 
casual observer is struck by the great numbers of Hymenoptera 
(bees) and Diptera (flies) , it is but natural that the study of those 
flowers depending upon insects for pollination should prove 
interesting and instructive. The observations which form the 
basis for this article were made during the summer of 1911 under 
the direction of Dr. O. E. Jennings, Instructor in Plant Ecology 
at the Lake Laboratory, Cedar Point, Ohio, and his suggestions 
have been of great aid. Reference has been freely made to books 
at hand, especially to the “Hand-book of Insect Pollination” 
by Knuth. 
Sir John Lubbock and Hermann Mueller state that blue 
flowers are the favorites of bees and the occurrence in this region 
of a fauna, rich in Hymenoptera, especially the solitary forms, 
and a flora marked by many blue and violet flowers, especially 
in or near the sandy spots chosen by the bees for their burrows 
would tend to confirm this theory. 
Labiates and others alike show a remarkable similarity in the 
relative positions of stamens and stigma. The majority of types 
under consideration possess two pairs of stamens of unequal 
length, the outer pair being the longer. In nearly all cases the 
anthers are found in the upper lobe of the two-lipped corolla, 
this being the most advantageous position for scattering pollen 
upon the insect visitor. In addition, such a position makes 
difficult the stealing of pollen by unwelcome visitors, especially 
the creeping forms. The styles, especially in the Labiates were 
found to elongate with age and undoubtedly in some cases self- 
pollination could occur as the stigmatic surface was being pushed 
past the anthers. 
The species, with one exception are found in Knuth’s Class 4, 
Flowers with Concealed Nectar. This class of flowers shows 
much zvgomorphism, thus indicating a high degree of flower 
specialization. Reds, blues, and violets are the predominating 
colors as opposed to the whites and yellows of the flowers with 
more exposed nectar. The higher degree of specialization in the 
flowers calls for a corresponding advance in the specialization of 
their visitors. The nectar can be conveniently sipped by short - 
tongued bees and long-tongued wasps, as well as by certain of the 
Diptera (Bombylidae and Syrphidae) and a number of the Lep- 
idoptera. This is more difficult for the shorter tongued flies 
(Muscidae) and for the same reason the beetles are very infre- 
