The bumblebee is any member of the the bee genus Bombus. There are 250 known species. They exist primarily in the Northern Hemisphere but are also common in New Zealand and the Tasmania, Australia.
The soft long hair on their bodies is called 'pile'. It covers their entire body, making them appear soft and fuzzy. Like their relatives the honey bees, bumblebees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young.
Like all bee tongues, the bumblebee tongue (the proboscis) is a long structure. It extends from a sheath-like modified maxilla. The action of the tongue is lapping, i.e. repeated dipping of the tongue into liquid. During lapping, nectar is drawn up the proboscis by capillary action. When at rest or flying, the proboscis is kept folded under the head.
I had never seen the probiscus of a bumblebee before. It quite amazing!
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