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Posts Tagged: Bombus vandykei
Fleeting Face of Mr. Van Dyke
He's racing through the lavender patch at breakneck speed, as if he's going to be charged with nectar robbing. The male Bombus vandykei, an engaging blond bumble bee, twists, turns and zig-zags through the long-stemmed lavender. There is no one in...
A male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, sips nectar from a lavender blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Another lavender blossom draws the attention of the male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Side view of the male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Look ma, no head! The male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, draws nectar through his tongue or proboscis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Why This Bumble Bee Is a Treasure
It's so blond that all you can say is "Wow!" It's sort of like the Reese Witherspoon of bumble bees. But then the gender doesn't match. Okay, the Owen Wilson of bumble bees. The male Bombus vandykei, commonly called "The Van Dyke Bumble Bee," is a...
A male Bombus vandykei,also known as the Van Dyke Bumble Bee, forages on lavender in Vacaville, Calif. on May 17. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A natural blond! A male bumble bee known as the Van Dyke Bumble Bee, Bombus vandykei, sips nectar from lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A dorsal view of the male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, foraging on lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Going Native
The first thing you notice when you walk up to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis, are the natives. Native plants, that is. California golden poppies and phacelia are among the plants sharing the...
Bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, foraging on phacelia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Side view of bumble bee, Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Competition for the phacelia! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
