Carder bee pollinating Symphytum officinale
Some flowers can suffer from the problem of nectar robbing. These two images of the flowers of common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) illustrate this.
This image shows a flower of common comfrey being visited - and pollinated - by a long tongued carder bee (probably Bombus pascuorum, the common carder bee).
The previous image shows a short tongued early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) visiting a flower of common comfrey. The bumblebee worker has pierced the flower tube at the top and is robbing the nectar. Its proboscis will not come into contact with the stamens and so pollination will not take place.
Carder bee pollinating Symphytum officinale
Some flowers can suffer from the problem of nectar robbing. These two images of the flowers of common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) illustrate this.
This image shows a flower of common comfrey being visited - and pollinated - by a long tongued carder bee (probably Bombus pascuorum, the common carder bee).
The previous image shows a short tongued early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) visiting a flower of common comfrey. The bumblebee worker has pierced the flower tube at the top and is robbing the nectar. Its proboscis will not come into contact with the stamens and so pollination will not take place.