Template:POTD/2008-01-11
Two honeybees collect nectar from Cirsium arvense (commonly known as Creeping Thistle) flowers. Although this plant is considered as a weed and invasive species, it provides food for the Goldfinch and Linnet, as well as over 20 species of Lepidoptera, including the Painted Lady butterfly, and the Engrailed, a species of moth, and several species of aphids. It is also edible by humans, but rarely used due to its propensity to induce flatulence in some people.Photo credit: Richard Bartz