May 10, 2014
Highbush blueberry flowers, Vaccinium corymbosum
The bell-shaped flowers of blueberries and huckleberries provide a challenge for bees that want to collect nectar from them. The insects have to squeeze in through the narrow opening, pollinating the flower in the process. Some bees have figured out how to use their proboscis to poke a hole near the base of the flower, allowing them to take the nectar without doing as much work, but as a result, not doing the job of pollenating the flower.