We know about honeybees and bumblebees, but most of the UK’s bees are neither: they’re solitary bees, loners who come in a dizzying range of sizes, colours and varieties – more than 240 species. Have you heard, for instance, of the hairy-footed flower bee? “They’re one of the first bees to emerge each year,” says Laura […]
Tag: Bumblebee
“Their real super-power is their ability to shoot blood from their eyes.” The 23 weirdest, strangest animals on the planet – including the striped pyjama squid
With over 8.7 million species of animals in the world, it’s perhaps no surprise that evolution has produced some particularly peculiar-looking ones. Ugly as some of them may be, these so-called weird animals often become some of the most loved and well know (especially in the age of the internet meme – looking at you blobfish!). There will […]
The island that banned hives: can honeybees actually harm nature?
Off the coast of Tuscany is a tiny island in the shape of a crescent moon. An hour from mainland Italy, Giannutri has just two beaches for boats to dock. In summer, hundreds of tourists flock there, hiking to the red and white lighthouse on its southern tip before diving into the clear waters. In […]
Tiny Catfish Found Climbing Brazilian Waterfalls in Stunning Discovery
Nature has once again proven how resilient life can be. In Brazil, scientists have documented thousands of tiny bumblebee catfish scaling waterfalls up to four meters high, a feat that seems almost impossible for fish less than four centimeters long. According to ScienceAlert, the surprising behavior was first noticed when police spotted the fish swarming […]
The truth about Asian hornets: how terrified should humans and honeybees actually be?
Can a single insect reshape history? A queen hornet from the Vespa velutina species, which is believed to have stowed away in Chinese pottery, could make that claim. She was shipped to the port of Bordeaux in 2004. Having already mated with multiple males, she flew off into the sunshine of south-west France and built […]
Remembering Summer Bees
I know everyone is busy with holiday preparation, so just a few words about some bees I saw in June. I’ve seen this bee before — it’s Bombusfervidus, commonly called the golden northern bumble bee. But it has always managed to fly away before I could take a photograph. I snuck up on this one […]