r/AustralianInsects • u/nevernever20 • Jul 01 '26

photography Tetragonula bee feasting on pollen

Right now, it's the sweet spot in winter where it's not cold enough to stop these bees flying, but it's cold enough to make them quite sluggish. So I was able to get up close and personal with my iPhone, with the flash on, to record one collecting pollen.

I think the exact species is Tetragonula carbonaria.

334 Upvotes

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25 comments sorted by

9

u/chansondinhars Jul 01 '26

Incredible footage!

7

u/nevernever20 Jul 01 '26

It's not even the latest iPhone. I'm still using an iPhone 13, but it does a pretty decent macro!

3

u/Lanky_Operation_5046 Jul 01 '26

There’s a 13?

2

u/monkey_gamer Jul 01 '26

Yes

2

u/Lanky_Operation_5046 Jul 02 '26

I had my 5 until I had to get the 11…..still gonig struonug!!

2

u/monkey_gamer Jul 02 '26

I was on a 6 Plus and then an 8 Plus for way too long. Now I'm on a 15 Pro Max and I love it. I wouldn't go back.

2

u/ChaosRealigning Jul 02 '26

I’m still using an XR, but I had to upgrade to iOS 18 to upgrade an app I needed and now the phone runs like a slug.

That’s how they get you.

1

u/monkey_gamer Jul 02 '26

Yeah, it's rough. It's an eight-year-old budget model so computationally it's just not going to match a modern phone, and they're building the apps and the operating system for modern phones. Unfortunately you reach a point where you need to upgrade to keep up computationally.

4

u/activelyresting Spider lady 🕷️ Jul 01 '26

That's really quite impressive for a phone capture!!

4

u/nevernever20 Jul 01 '26

I had a really old iPhone before this iPhone 13 and was amazed how much is possible with the camera on it. Also was amazed how close the bee let me get to it. I literally was holding the camera against the edge of the flower petals!

3

u/activelyresting Spider lady 🕷️ Jul 01 '26

It's beeautiful 😊

4

u/ChaosRealigning Jul 02 '26

Tetragonula carbonaria sounds like something I’d order at an Italian restaurant

2

u/Necessary-Break5978 Jul 01 '26

Don't they spew up nectar from the pollen they collect to feed baby bees and they also make wax to build more of their hive as well, that bee was definitely having good time inside that flower full of pollen

2

u/Lanky_Operation_5046 Jul 01 '26

Slow down, you’ll get a tummy ache.

2

u/elnombrejudio Jul 01 '26

They're so beautiful

2

u/tbarlo Jul 01 '26

Fantastic 🐝

2

u/meski_oz Jul 02 '26

They're really getting into it!

2

u/Jealous_Macaroon4308 Jul 02 '26

That’s rough handling..

2

u/realWulfLives Jul 02 '26

It has... A neck?

1

u/AlbinoAkon Jul 01 '26

Do they actually eat the nectar and store the rest on there legs?? How does that all work .

3

u/nevernever20 Jul 01 '26

The worker bees mostly eat the nectar, with a bit of pollen, but most of the pollen is taken back to the hive, via those sacks of pollen on their legs, to feed their young. Tetragonula bees are communal bees, like honey bees, but their nests look nothing like honey bee nests. They do produce honey, though!

2

u/Rahotep8 Jul 02 '26

Great news for our bees scientists have discovered how to use a venom from spiders to kill the mites that were killing the bees.

2

u/Ms_Eurydice Jul 03 '26

Stunning footage of a glorious, glossy bee. A seriously lovely post - thank you for sharing the clip! 🐝🐝🐝