Bees Carrying Pollen
Updated: 3rd January 2024
Over the
years, I have managed to capture some wonderful pictures of bees carrying
pollen.
Whilst some of these pictures already feature elsewhere on my site, I thought it would be nice to put them all on one page, so that you can clearly see bees collecting pollen in different ways, depending on the species.
How is pollen collected by bees?
Pollen is important for bees, as it provides food (especially protein) for developing offspring.
With all species, pollen is collected on hairs that are specially adapted in some way, so that the bee can carry pollen from flower to flower during the foraging trip, and then finally back to the nest (or hive if managed honey bees).
Pollen baskets - corbiculae
Some bee species are 'corbiculate', meaning they have pollen baskets or 'corbicula' located on the outside of the hind legs of female bees, and consist of a slightly concave (curved) area surrounded by long hairs.
Probably the most well-known corbiculate bees are bumble bees and honey bees, but this group also includes Euglossini (orchid bees), and Meliponini (stingless bees)1.
When collecting pollen, the pollen is moistened with nectar, and packed into the corbiculae, which act as baskets, trapping and holding the pollen in place.
The pollen baskets on this bumble bee can be seen on the hind legs, but they are not very full.
At the beginning of a foraging trip, the pollen baskets will be empty of pollen, and so will be invisible.
Gradually as the bee continues with its foraging activities, the pollen baskets can be seen. As the pollen baskets grow increasingly full, they are highly visible.
This bumble bee's pollen baskets are more full, round and visible on the hind legs.
There will be slight variations in shade, from very pale yellow to darker yellow/orange, depending on the pollen collected.
The pollen baskets on this honey bee contain significantly more pollen than is the case above.
Scopa
Scopa are dense hairs, usually either on the hind legs, or on the underside of the abdomen on some female solitary bee species.
The scopa on the underside of the abdomen (also called a 'pollen brush') is especially visible in some members of the Megachilidae family, such as the leafcutter bees.
On this photograph, you can clearly see the pollen on the underside of the abdomen of this leafcutter bee (a member of the Megachilidae family).
Leafcutter bees bees sometimes raise their abdomens when foraging, making the pollen brush especially visible, however, it can also be seen even when the bee is in flight - it's simply a matter of looking out for it.
Top view of a leafcutter bee. The pollen-laden scopa (pollen brush) is nevertheless visible, even from this angle.In other bee species, scopa may be seen on the hind legs. The appearance of the pollen is less compact than is the case with the corbiculae on bumble bees and honey bees.
Grey banded mining bee - Andrena denticulata. Note appearance of pollen on the rear legs.
Painted mining bees - Andrena fucata on wild rose. When carried by bees on the scopa on the hind legs, the pollen has a looser, dryer appearance.Body hair
The hairy bodies of bees are often seen dusted with pollen. In a sense, bees have 'sticky hair' and the pollen caught on the body of the bee as it forages on flowers, may be groomed and collected and transferred to the pollen baskets or scopa.
At the same time, the pollen catching on the hair helps to ensure that bees are highly effective pollinators, as pollen grains are transferred from one flower to the next.
The hairy bodies of bees are often seen dusted with pollen.
As the bee forages on flowers, pollen grains are transferred from one flower to the next, thus helping to ensure pollination.
References
1. Corbiculate Bees. / Engel, Michael S.; Rasmussen, Claus. Encyclopedia of Social Insects. ed. / Christopher K. Starr. Cham : Springer, 2020.
More articles about bees
- Bee Facts Bee Facts - quick snippets about the different types of bees, with links to further information, and facts about honey bees
- Where Do Bees Go In Winter And Do Bees Hibernate? Where Do Bees Go In Winter? About winter activity of honey bees, and overwintering or hibernation of bumble bees and solitary bees.
- How Long Do Bees Live? How long do bees live? It depends on the type of bee, and the role in the colony. A look at the lifespans of honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees.
- Do Bees Fly At Night? Can Bees See In The Dark Or At Dusk? Do Bees Fly At Night? Can Bees See In The Dark? Which Bees Are Active At night? A look at the research to answer these questions.
- Do Bees Visit Yellow Flowers? Do Bees Visit Yellow Flowers? Examples of yellow flowering plants and shrubs visited by bees.
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