Sleeping bee in the pink

This was a surprise - the first time I have encountered Apis mellifera sleeping within a flower.

Assuming this is indeed what it was doing. I came upon it in the very early morning when temps were still cool and thought initially it was dead, but after a moment saw movement. Then I assumed perhaps it was poorly and on its last legs. Perhaps it had been caught by unexpected cool temps the evening before and had not made it back to the colony.

After an hour I came back to the flower to see the little bee still there and was witness to it becoming more active, then eventually flying off with seemingly no problems!

The flower is of the native Pigface, Carpobrotus glaucescens.


Apis mellifera 15 mm length