It has the strength to rip open the flowers' outer casing
它为了吃花蜜
and gets its reward of nectar.
一把撕开花壳
At the same time, it exposes the delicate stamens to waiting insects.
同时苦候多时的昆虫 也终于等到雄蕊见天日的一刻
With luck, there's enough time for pollination
幸运的话 可以赶在寒风冻死花朵前
before the biting wind kills the flowers.
完成授粉
For some plants, the relationship with their pollinators is not collaborative,
某些植物 和授粉昆虫间的关系不是合作
it's war.
而是战争
Butterflies, and in such numbers,
这么多蝴蝶对任何花朵来说
would seem to be perfect pollinators for any flower.
应该都是最理想的授粉者
The Sandhill milkweed blooms every spring in the sandy meadows of Florida.
佛罗里达沙地草原的马利筋 在春天开花
It times its flowering perfectly to match the arrival
开花的时机正好碰上
of Monarch butterflies migrating here from Mexico.
大批从墨西哥 迁徙来此的帝王斑蝶
The Monarchs search out milkweed plants,
帝王斑蝶找上马利筋的原因
but they have something other than pollination on their minds.
并不是授粉
Rather than collect pollen, this female lays her eggs on the milkweed leaf.
这只雌蝶不收集花粉 而是在马利筋的叶片上产卵
This is the only plant the caterpillars can eat.
因为这是毛虫唯一能吃的植物