Where there is an American Basket-flower, Plectocephalus americanus, there is at least one American Bumblebee, Bombus pensylvanicus.
In an early morning nectar-gathering flight, this bee, proboscis dug into the bloom, works the bounty provided by the flower. The bee’s corbicula or pollen basket, is loaded with the golden good stuff. I call the corbiculae pollen pantaloons.
A back view demonstrates both loaded pollen pantaloons and a cute little bee bum!
On a different day and on a different flower, the same (or maybe different) bee is at its work.
Summer’s garden production, all healthy flora and fauna, is ongoing and vibrant.
My Gardener Says... 
Great title, great photos, great commentary. You nailed it!
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Haha, thanks Sam!
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Lovely partnership! I esp. like that last shot. 👏🏼 🐝
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Thanks, Eliza! I like that one too, you can see the pollen on other parts of the bee besides its pantaloons!
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Love your title.
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Thanks, Judy!
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Looks like your basket-flowers are still going strong. The ones in Great Hills Park have all faded by now.
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Actually, they’re on the way out. I’ve been dead heading, to produce more blooms and did so before this last rain event. I probably won’t do so going forward, but we’ll see what I do when I have my pruners in hand. 🙂
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That bee’s not bumbling around; it knows exactly what it’s doing! Like you, I always enjoy the combination of bee and basket-flower, and these are wonderful photos of the combo. The few basket-flowers I’ve seen this year are well into their decline, but it’s not for lack of rain! In fact, the last serious rains beat them up a bit, but I’m sure they served up a lot of pollen before they began to fade.
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Hi, Bumble.
I spent much of last summer learning different Bumble species, in an attempt to properly introduce myself to a tiny one I had yet to meet.
After a rollercoaster of hope that I had a population of endangered ones, I (like all rollercoasters, hopefully) ended back where I started.
It turned out to be a Digger Bee who looks like the cutest little Bumble. Last summer, it was my paddock of Medium Red Clover. This summer, without a paddock, they have still come to visit on Blue Vervain. Dressed to the nines in his pollen pantaloons as well!
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Plumdirt! It’s been a while, nice to hear from you! Learning about insects is a challenge, and there are so many bees and bee-adjacent insects! Good for you for id-ing your Digger.
You have a paddock? That sounds intriguing!
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I leased some land from a farmer to farm the last few years. It was an adventure.
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“Pollen pantaloon” sounds so endearing. 🙂
Interestingly, I remember learning in elementary school that the German word for the pollen carried on bees’ legs was called “Höschen,” i.e. little pants, i.e. pantaloons!
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Haha, I’m glad you like it! And I like the German word–see, I’m not original!
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You and the person who first called those pollen balls Höschen had the same idea. That’s still original on your part!
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