A thieving honeybee (Apis mellifera) snags pollen off the body of a red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). Because honeybees aren’t good at collecting pollen from woolly thistle, the bumblebees — which get pollen stuck on their hairy bodies — appear to be too good a target to pass up. This behavior, previously seen in several areas in the United States, has now been observed in Italy.
Read more: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/honeybees-italy-steal-pollen-bumblebees
Video: T. Londei and G. Marzi/Apidologie 2023
Watch a honeybee steal pollen off the backs of bumblebees | Science News
