Deep throat

I came home from a long walk with numerous up-skirt shots of foxglove flowers. I am fascinated by the pattern of dark spots outlined with white that speckle  each throat like a rash. Some flowers have just a sprinkling, others are peppered with them - all are different. It seems odd that while leopard spots have become a universally popular design motif, the decorative potential of foxglove dots has been ignored.
Because bumble bees are the chief, if not sole, pollinators, evolution has rendered each foxglove finger perfectly designed to attract and accommodate them. Purple is (apparently) a bee's favourite colour; the lip of the flower acts as a landing stage, the spots make a welcome mat that draws the insect into the trumpet which in turn is shaped so as to be the exact fit for the bee's body, ensuring that its back will engage with the reproductive organs of the flower while it sips the nectar. Pollen is exchanged as the bees flits from flower to flower. The tiny filaments visible within  discourage smaller insects from gaining access since they would not accomplish the object of the exercise, being of the wrong proportions. Nifty!

If you have a passion for alpacas, as I do, the extra pictures are of some I met today.