There are plenty of flowers that really attract a lot of pollinators and others that only attract a few or sometimes a specialized group. The prickly pear cactus bloom (Opuntia spp.) is one of those that attracts huge numbers and a wide variety. The flowers in full bloom are a beautiful sight in and of themselves, but watching the various insects come and go is mesmerizing. When I see one of these flowers and they are wide open, I like to be able to just hang out for a while and see who shows up. It took me less than five minutes of filming to catch all the species in the video. Some came and went quickly, especially the bees. Others, like the beetles, hung around longer, and the little weevils seemed to be permanent residents. If you look carefully you’ll also notice a few flybys that didn’t stop. These flowers are only in good condition for a day or two, so the pollinators have to make the most of them. Even though it took almost no time to film these species, I sat and watched this flower for close to an hour. Sometimes I was photographing or taking video, but a lot of that time I was just watching and enjoying the show.