Honey bee caught flower robbing

[laetoli]

Two aphids watch the culprit robbing nectar from the base of an Erysimum bicolor. <tut tut>

This individual spent a long time behind the flowers serially robbing from this plant. I read that Bombus terrestris and lucorum are often the major robbers due to their short tongues but both of those feed from this flower in the prescribed manner.

Where are the insect police for me to report this misdemeanour?

Take care,
Paul

[eucera]

Apis will be a secondary nectar raider, coming in after the shorter tongued Bombus have bitten into the base of the corolla

[Meta menardi]

Virtually all of the broad beans round here get "drilled", so there is quite a loss of crop.

[eucera]

In my experience, where there is a full assemblage of bumble species, nectar raiding may actually improve yield by forcing the legitimate visitors to vist more flowers

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by eucera

In my experience, where there is a full assemblage of bumble species, nectar raiding may actually improve yield by forcing the legitimate visitors to vist more flowers

That certainly makes sense, but who can guarantee a full range of bumbles? This was an isolated garden near to moorland, we seemed to get loads of non-set pods.

[eucera]

You will need to have some of the long-tongued ones - B. hortorum fits the bill and was (in all cases but one in the study I was involved in) the key legitimate visitor.

The key thing really, is that the landscape in the vicinity of the cropped area will need to provide the right forage when the Beans are not in flower (ie, most of the time)

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by eucera

You will need to have some of the long-tongued ones - B. hortorum fits the bill and was (in all cases but one in the study I was involved in) the key legitimate visitor.

The key thing really, is that the landscape in the vicinity of the cropped area will need to provide the right forage when the Beans are not in flower (ie, most of the time)

Just grass and bog, with some trees.

[eucera]

I rest my case m'lud ;-)