Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Fly bubble blowing

Posted by evernia on 10-05-2016 08:13
#168

This seems to be an halictic bee manipulating nectar droplets to reduce moisture. While I was taking the pictures, the bee moved continuously her tongue in and out about twenty times before it flew away. This is the first time I have seen a bee doing this drying and ripening process with her tongue. There are several pictures of bees processing nectar with a droplet in her mouth, as if they were simply bubble blowing . But in this case the bee seems to evaporate more water from the droplet by expanding the proboscis to full length and exposing a larger droplet surface to the sun.

Edited by evernia on 10-05-2016 08:16