Those of Us with Perfect Hair, Pt. 4 - _TNY_4949
Today, May 20th is World Bee Day according to the UN. This is meant to raise awareness about the fact that "nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land".
Did you notice that it says "animal pollination" and not bee pollination"? That's because it isn't just bees who do the pollination - but somehow the UN thinks bees should get all the credit. So UN, which day is World Hoverfly Day then?
Anyways, this queen buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris, also known as the large earth bumblebee, just has the most awesome fur coat. So dense!
The really pretty flower that is enticing here is an eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) whoch really is a bumblebee (and also butterfly!) magnet.
If you look a little closer on the bumblebee, you can see that it has a couple of stowaways in the form of phoretic mites. These don't hurt the bumblebee but just use it to taxi between places.
Part 1 (closer) here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51546596003/
Part 2 (from the front) here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52719268452/
Part 3 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52809691530/
Those of Us with Perfect Hair, Pt. 4 - _TNY_4949
Today, May 20th is World Bee Day according to the UN. This is meant to raise awareness about the fact that "nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land".
Did you notice that it says "animal pollination" and not bee pollination"? That's because it isn't just bees who do the pollination - but somehow the UN thinks bees should get all the credit. So UN, which day is World Hoverfly Day then?
Anyways, this queen buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris, also known as the large earth bumblebee, just has the most awesome fur coat. So dense!
The really pretty flower that is enticing here is an eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) whoch really is a bumblebee (and also butterfly!) magnet.
If you look a little closer on the bumblebee, you can see that it has a couple of stowaways in the form of phoretic mites. These don't hurt the bumblebee but just use it to taxi between places.
Part 1 (closer) here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51546596003/
Part 2 (from the front) here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52719268452/
Part 3 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52809691530/