Bumblebee ~ Male B. pratorum collecting nectar with long tongue ~ the proboscis

My garden by Wilden Marsh ~ Wyre Forest ~ Worcestershire

 

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Simon :-)

 

The bumblebee tongue (the proboscis) is composed of many different mouthparts acting as a unit, specialised to suck up nectar via capillary action...

 

Early Bumblebee ~ Bombus pratorum

 

A small often nesting in tit boxes. The yellowband on the abdomen is sometimes missing in females. Colonies are very short lived, producing as early as April. Rarely seen from July onwards... this makes sense as I took the photo in May !

 

Bumblebees

 

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Birds, bees, photos, videos and info...

 

Simon :-)

Done