Western Honey Bee

With their furry-looking bodies and big eyes, I'd argue that the Western Honey Bee is one of the best insect models for a plush toy. (Admittedly some moths and butterflies also have these traits.)

The honeybees are a little controversial in the environmental community, at least when they're living wild. While acknowledging that they're important for agriculture, most wild honeybees aren't pollinating our orchards and groves but are instead considered an invasive species that's competing against our native pollinators like bumblebees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and flower flies. And they may be one of the main pollinators of invasive plants that many of our native pollinators don't recognize as a pollen/nectar source, and thus wouldn't propagate well without them.

Still, there aren't major efforts being made to remove them, except perhaps by beekeepers looking to give them a home. And they're generally well-behaved insects too; I routinely get close to them without getting stung (though many times they'll fly off before I get a picture).

July 28, 2021 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 148654558, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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