How do yellow-faced bees of the genus Hylaeus transport pollen differently than many other bees?

Answer

They regurgitate nectar mixed with pollen into a special internal stomach called the crop.

Yellow-faced bees possess a highly unique method for pollen collection and transport, distinguishing them significantly from familiar bees like honeybees or bumblebees. Instead of storing the pollen externally on specialized branched hairs, often referred to as corbiculae or pollen baskets found on the legs of many other bee species, *Hylaeus* bees internalize the material. They mix the pollen grains with regurgitated nectar, creating a liquid slurry. This mixture is then stored within an internal digestive organ known as the crop. This internal storage mechanism is a defining characteristic of the subfamily Colletidae, to which *Hylaeus* belongs, and results in the bees appearing sleek and un-dusted with external pollen.

Related Questions

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