Taken 9th June 2006, feeding on my Lupin. The female is orange under the abdomen.
by wallaby1 Jun 10, 2007 3:02 PM
The tail always tilted upwards as it fed.
by wallaby1 Jun 10, 2007 3:09 PM
It makes a 'bee line' straight to the flower, in and out very quickly.
by wallaby1 Jun 10, 2007 3:15 PM
The male, he liked to perch on the same purplish colour Aquilegia leaf. He was near the female but didn't feed, he was on guard.
by wallaby1 Jun 12, 2007 12:39 AM
The male perched on the blue lupin in the same place until the female arrived to feed, then he would protect her from another male.
by wallaby1 Jun 12, 2007 12:43 AM
The male on his way to protect the female. She has some pollen on her tail end.
by wallaby1 Jun 12, 2007 12:49 AM
Face on of the male, what a moustache!
by wallaby1 Jun 12, 2007 12:55 AM
The female looks to have some brown hairs on the face.
by wallaby1 Jun 12, 2007 1:00 AM
Takenon 9th June 2008, Lincoln UK. The male had arrived to protect his new Lupin patch! This species can be separated from others by the males' massively swollen front tarsi.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:16 PM
The male attacking a Bombus lucorum! He would chase off rival males as well as other females of his own species!
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:17 PM
After much flying around his Lupin patch, the male occasionally had to rest, panting on a Lupin flower 'pad'.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:19 PM
This shows the male's very large mandibles.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:21 PM
On 10th June, a female diving into a Lupin.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:23 PM
The female emerging from a Lupin flower.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:24 PM
On 30th June, a female taking a rare rest to clean herself. Notice the pollen on the hairs under the abdomen, this is how she carries it instead of on pollen baskets on the legs.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:27 PM
On 30th June, a male taking a rest on a Delphinium flower.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:28 PM
On 1st July, a female approaching another favourite flower, species Campanula. This is Campanula alliariifolia. Note the nectar dripping from the bee's mouth parts.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:32 PM
The female scrapes pollen onto her abdominal hairs with her hind legs, as she feeds on nectar at the top end of the flower.
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:35 PM
A male attacking a Bombus sp. as it feeds on a Lupin flower. You can see him sinking in his mandibles!
by wallaby1 Dec 25, 2008 9:39 PM
