Promoted
Common Eastern Bumble Bee - Bombus impatiens
Just a common bumblebee, but I wanted to share it anyway because it has fantastic corbiculae (pollen baskets)!!
Not all bees collect pollen, and the ones that do collect it in different ways. For example, leafcutter bees carry pollen on the scopal hairs on their abdomen, some bees in the family Colletidae carry pollen internally, and mining bees carry pollen in their 'armpits'. Most wild bees do not have pollen baskets. But, honey bees and bumble bees do have pollen baskets (called corbiculae). A corbicula is made up of hairs blended together to form a concave shape. In this photo, you can see the pollen baskets, which are fairly full, on the hing legs of the bee.
Habitat: Rural garden
"Bombus impatiens", the common eastern bumble bee, is the most commonly encountered bumblebee across much of eastern North America. They can be found in the Eastern temperate forest region of the eastern United States, southern Canada, and the eastern Great Plains.
comments (6)
Nectar, which bees convert to honey, is their main source of carbohydrates. It gives them energy. They store nectar in their stomachs and it gets passed from worker to worker (by barfing in each others' mouths) until the water content within it diminishes and the nectar becomes honey. The honey is stored in the cells of the honeycomb.
Pollen, which bees make into 'bee bread', is the honey bee's main source of protein and fat. Protein and fat are crucial to bee development. When they bring the pollen back to their colony, the bees add secretions to it to prevent bacterial contamination so they can store it long-term. Stored pollen is called bee bread.
Of course, an added benefit of collecting pollen and nectar is pollination :). Posted 5 years ago