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 19 pollen on the legs, food DHJanzen101034.jpg high resolution
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| A honey bee (Apis mellifera) visiting goldenrod flowers (Solidago), collecting the bright orange pollen in a moist mass on the hind leg, a mass moistened into sticky paste with nectar. This pollen is generally not available for pollination and from the goldenrod plant viewpoint, this species of bee may be nothing more than a visitor and a pollen thief rather than a pollinator. In general, honey bees are poor pollinators of the plants that they visit for pollen, and are much better pollinators of the plants that they visit for nectar and carry pollen from flower to flower on their other body parts, as contaminants. When just collecting nectar, the bee is less inclined to take the time to clean itself of pollen (i.e., capture the pollen) and thus serves as a better pollinator. | ||
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