Educated fleas, and others

It will no doubt shock you to learn that there are depictions of the sex act on the internet. This site (thanks, larksdream) attempts to gloss over the smut with scientific curiosity, and does a great job. The diversity of mating positions of different invertebrates is a thing to behold. Nervous spiders, shameless Japanese beetles, and passionate, almost artistic slugs are all featured.

Why do so many insects do it facing away from each other?

365 Urban Species. #155: White Lychnis

Photos by cottonmanifesto. Location: Fence at parking lot for Brookline Water and Sewer Division.

Urban species #155: White lychnis Lychnis alba

Flowers exist to be pollinated. It is joyous chance that what we agree with bees and butterflies about what makes a flower attractive. These insects fly by day, and the sun reflects an array of colors on flowers, some that even our large eyes are blind to. Many flowers even close their petals at night. But other plants have chosen other partners to spread their pollen. Flowers that are pollinated by moths have no need for yellows and purples--they wouldn't be seen by their night-flying partners. So it is with white lychnis: their bright colorless flowers bloom at night.

Other common names for this plant include evening lychnis, white cockle, and white campion. It is easy to confuse with several close relatives with similar common names. White lychnis was introduced from Europe, and has spread to become naturalized across North America. It grows in vacant lots, fields, and wet waste areas.