Easter Bonnet

Submitted by szgarvey on

Irving Berlin wasn't writing about carpenter bees when he penned "Easter Bonnet":

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it
You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade

I'll be all in clover and when they look you over
I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade

However,  if you watch carpenter bees move from flower to flower as they gather nectar, you're bound to see one with its head inside a blossom. 

An Easter bonnet, to be sure.

I captured this image of a carpenter bee visiting a California native wildflower, "Bird's Eyes" or "Bird's-Eye Gilia" (Gilia tricolor), on the UC Davis campus. It's aptly named. It's a light lavender and purple tubular flower with a yellow throat and powder-blue stamens.


Source URL: https://class.ucanr.edu/blog/bug-squad/article/easter-bonnet