Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Bumblebee from below...


Our lavender bush has hummed with bumblebees over the last couple of weeks. Often they are so preoccupied with feeding that they clamber between the closely-spaced flower spikes instead of flying. This one found the gap between the flowers a little too much of a stretch and was momentarily suspended between then, revealing an unusual view of the hairless underside of the insect.
























It's interesting to see the forked tip of its tongue. The tip of the proboscis of other insects sometimes separates momentarily in this way when they withdraw it from the flower (this one, for example).