Bumblebee, meet pollen.
Arnold Hoogerwerf just curious: is that an archived picture or are they still active in the southern hemisphere? Over here, the queens are just waking from hibernation. Such fascinating creatures!
Miraz Jordan @ArnoldHoogerwerf Good question. I took the photo yesterday. We're in Autumn now.
Arnold Hoogerwerf Yes, so there’s a good chance that’s a queen. The more I learn about their lifecycle, the more I wonder about them. Did you know they are warm-blooded?!
Arnold Hoogerwerf yup:
The temperature of the flight muscles, which occupy much of the thorax, needs to be at least 30 °C (86 °F) before flight can take place. The muscle temperature can be raised by shivering.
That (and their thick bristle pile) is the reason they still fly around late in the season!