August 26, 2025
A Common Eastern Bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) gathering pollen on a Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida). These bees have a special place to collect pollen on the outside of their back legs called pollen baskets, or corbiculae.
Pollen will be gathered on their fuzzy bodies, then the bee will gather that pollen into these spoon-shaped depressions on their legs, the corbiculae, where it is stored for the trip back to feed the hive’s larvae.
Bees are amazing!
_______________________
If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
2 responses to “Pollen Baskets Or Corbiculae”
Bees are indeed amazing! I love watching them as they collect their pollen. I have always called these places their suitcases. I guess I wasn’t too far off. Thanks for all your posts. I enjoy reading them so much! We are beginning to enjoy cooler temperatures here and fall is right around the corner!
Hi Diane! So good to hear from you. I am learning so very much as I write these blog posts! I’ve noticed those yellow bundles on the back legs of some bees for some time, but never did any research or even think very hard about it. I figured it WAS pollen, but again I didn’t think about it until I got started on thinking about these Common Eastern Bumblebees. Now I know. My hope is that one day I’ll be able to remember what they are called other than pollen baskets — corbiculae. Haha! I appreciate your calling them their suitcases, since I often talk about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds taking off on their migrating carrying one of their very tiny suitcases! It’s been wonderfully cool here too. I can’t believe it, but I’m sure not going to complain.
Thanks so much for reading my posts. AND thank you for “chatting” with me!
Bren