Sharing a Sunflower

Submitted by szgarvey on

If you're in the right spot at the same time, you may get a double bonus: a non-native bee and a native bee on a native plant.

We took this photo in Healdsburg last week of a non-native bee (the common European or Western honey bee, Apis mellifera) and a native sweat bee (Halictus ligatus) sharing a plant native to the Americas: the sunflower. 

A golden moment.

TWO ON A SUNFLOWER--A  honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a female sweat bee (Halictus ligatus) share a sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two on a Sunflower
CLOSE-UP of a honey bee and a sweat bee clearly illustrates the size disparity.  The honey bee is covered with pollen from a nearby hollyhock. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-Up

Source URL: https://ccfruitandnuts.ucanr.edu/blog/bug-squad/article/sharing-sunflower