Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Sweat, Furrow, Nomiine, and Short-faced Bees (Halictidae) » Nomiine Bees (Nomiinae) » Nomia
Photo#934270
what is this behavior in bees? - Nomia
Copyright © 2014 t. stone

what is this behavior in bees? - Nomia
Superior, Pinal County, Arizona, USA
June 8, 2014
Size: 1/4" or so.
I have seen other species of native bees do this on warm days. They "blow" a bubble of liquid and then somewhat slowly suck it back into their mouths. They will sit on a branch and do this numerous times before flying off. Is this a form of evaporative cooling for the bee?
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by t. stone on 8 June, 2014 - 3:54pm
Last updated 8 June, 2014 - 5:48pm

Condensing nectar?
I have seen this behavior explained as the bee condensing nectar--by bubbling the liquid it allows excess moister to evaporate so that the nectar is more sugar-rich per volume. I know female bees may do this to get thicker nectar to mix with their pollen balls--it's interesting to note that your bee here is a male, so I'm thinking it's probably not condensing the nectar for a pollen ball...
Just a guess--maybe he doesn't want to be too bloated with a heavy load of mostly-water nectar and is thus condensing the drop before he drinks it?
… Keng-Lou James Hung, 8 June, 2014 - 5:51pm login or register to post comments

 
nectar condensing
Thank you so much for a great explanation. I hadn't even considered that possibility.
… t. stone, 8 June, 2014 - 6:21pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Keng-Lou James Hung, 8 June, 2014 - 5:48pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact