Bubble Blowing Bee

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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Dalantech
Posts: 694
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:57 am

Bubble Blowing Bee

Post by Dalantech »

When I found this bee I wasn't sure what it was doing, but it didn't seem skittish so I decided to try and take a shot. When I looked through the view finder I realized that it was blowing a bubble, and every other second or so it would stick its proboscis out. The prevailing theory is that insects blow bubbles to expose their stomach contents to the air to aid beneficial bacteria in breaking down what they've eaten.

Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/100, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Denoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Clarity in that order.

ImageBubble Blowing Bee by John Kimbler, on Flickr

MarkSturtevant
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Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
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Re: Bubble Blowing Bee

Post by MarkSturtevant »

A great picture! My first thought would be it is letting some nectar evaporate a bit to concentrate it.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Dalantech
Posts: 694
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:57 am

Re: Bubble Blowing Bee

Post by Dalantech »

MarkSturtevant wrote:
Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:00 am
A great picture! My first thought would be it is letting some nectar evaporate a bit to concentrate it.
Thanks! I've also been told that they sometimes blow bubbles to regulate heat (cool off, but it wasn't hot and the critter was in the shade).

Dalantech
Posts: 694
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:57 am

Re: Bubble Blowing Bee

Post by Dalantech »

Second frame of this critter:

ImageBubble Blowing Bee II by John Kimbler, on Flickr

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