Protea repens bee-having

Many millions of bees have dined on Protea repens nectar but who’s counting?

The longest involucral bracts of the flowerhead in picture are just taller than the woolly perianth tips still holding their floret styles captive. The fine hair tufts are white, the perianth segments lower down cream to creamy yellow, as are the smooth, glossy surfaces of the involucral bracts surrounding and shielding the cluster of florets.

The bee won’t wait for floret opening, just checked whether the first nectar is available in the flowerhead base. The answer to that exploration she did not divulge, as it’s everyone for herself in these eateries.

The hairs on the bee’s body appear longer than those on the perianths (Manning, 2007; Rourke, 1980; iNaturalist).