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Bumblebee


Bumblebee
Photo Information
Copyright: Paras Bhalla (parasbhalla) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 317 W: 0 N: 814] (3170)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-09-27
Categories: Insects
Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC P150
Exposure: f/5.2, 1/120 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-11-03 1:21
Viewed: 124
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere.

Bumblebees are social insects that are characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. However, some species have orange or red on their bodies, or may be entirely black.[1] Another obvious (but not unique) characteristic is the soft nature of the hair (long, branched setae), called pile, that covers their entire body, making them appear and feel fuzzy. They are best distinguished from similarly large, fuzzy bees by the form of the female hind leg, which is modified to form a corbicula; a shiny concave surface that is bare, but surrounded by a fringe of hairs used to transport pollen (in similar bees, the hind leg is completely hairy, and pollen grains are wedged into the hairs for transport).

Like their relatives the honey bees, bumblebees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young.

Biology

The blood or hemolymph, as in other arthropods, is carried in an open circulatory system. The body organs, "heart" (dorsal aorta), muscles, etc. are surrounded in a reservoir of blood. The dorsal aorta does pulse blood through its long tube, though, so there is a circulation of sorts.

In fertilised queens the ovaries are activated when the queen lays her egg. It passes along the oviduct to the vagina. In the vagina there is a container called the spermatheca. This is where the queen stores sperm from her mating. Before she lays the egg, she will decide whether to use sperm from the spermatheca to fertilise it or not. Non-fertilised eggs grow into males, and only fertilised eggs grow into females and queens.

As in all animals, hormones play a big role in the growth and development of the bumblebee. The hormones that stimulate the development of the ovaries are suppressed in the other female worker bees while the queen remains dominant. Salivary glands in the head secrete saliva which is mixed with the nectar and pollen. Saliva is also mixed into the nest materials to soften them. The fat body is a nutritional store; before hibernation, queens eat as much as they can to enlarge their fat body, and the fat in the cells is used up during hibernation.

Like all bee tongues, the bumblebee tongue (the proboscis) is composed of many different mouthparts acting as a unit, specialised to suck up nectar via capillary action. When at rest or flying, the proboscis is kept folded under the head. The abdomen is divided into dorsal tergites and ventral sternites. Wax is secreted from glands on the sternites.

The brightly-coloured pile of the bumble bee is a form of aposematic signal. Depending on the species and morph, these colours can range from entirely black, to bright yellow, red, orange, white, and pink. Thick pile can also act as insulation to keep the bee warm in cold weather. Further, when flying a bee builds up an electrostatic charge, and as flowers are usually well grounded, pollen is attracted to the bee's pile when it lands. When a pollen covered bee enters a flower, the charged pollen is preferentially attracted to the stigma because it is better grounded than the other parts of the flower.

A bumblebee does not have ears, and it is not known whether, or how, a bumblebee could hear sound waves passing through the air, however they can feel the vibrations of sounds through wood and other materials.

(For more information, please consult WiKiPedia)
siggi, MMM, marianas, horias, cirano, Gert-Paassen, Hamurkaroglu, maurydv, Argus has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • joska Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 0 N: 1002] (5396)
  • [2009-11-03 2:47]

Excellent colors and details!

Ciao Paras. Wonderful bright coloured flower in exciting contrast against soft blu BG. Intersting POV to exalt DOF and details.

Roberto

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1370 W: 56 N: 4704] (16174)
  • [2009-11-03 4:08]

Hello MF Paras,
the flowers with the bee makes a nice shot here, you are correct, its the pollen time, nicely saturated colour tones, lovely composition.Best regards Siggi

Hi Paras,

I love your photos full of light and colors! ... this is no exception, has achieved an excellent photographic display radial plane. A very striking work with artistic frame.

TFS

Jesús

Ciao Paras, wonderful flower with fantastic colors, splendid light and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 0 N: 1985] (8905)
  • [2009-11-03 7:32]

Hello Paras
Nice composition.Good POV and sahrp image.Colors are amasing.Excellent text also
TFS Michel

Paras
Wonderful capture!
Great details and colors.
Congratulation!
Horia

Paras
Wonderful capture, great details and colors.
Great shot my friend!
Horia

  • Great 
  • cirano Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 651 W: 0 N: 228] (4878)
  • [2009-11-03 12:29]

Slav Paras,
Good close up with great colors and sharpness.Great POV and nice details.TFS.
regards,
Dűrzan

Hello Paras,

an good pov and composition from bee and flower.
Fine warm colours.

Gert

Hello Paras,
Beautiful. TFS and best wishes.
Mehmet

Hello Paras,
a very beautiful macro shot, superb sharpness and fantastic colours, i like the wide-angle perspective with a very good visual impression.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3808 W: 190 N: 11328] (34927)
  • [2009-11-04 1:29]

Hello Paras,
A fine portrayal of this garden flower against a blue sky. The bumblebee on it makes it a nature photo with the bumblebee taken from a nice POV with good sharpness while it is busy on the flower.
Thanks and best regards,
Ivan

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