What is this bee doing?

D

dragon49

For the last 25 minutes, I've been watching a bee at work.  It has pollinated 4 flowers, but has spent most of the time hanging out on the back of leaves.  It appears to be feeding.    What is it doing during these times?
 
dragon49 said:
For the last 25 minutes, I've been watching a bee at work.  It has pollinated 4 flowers, but has spent most of the time hanging out on the back of leaves.  It appears to be feeding.    What is it doing during these times?
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It is about to go to sleep, I could take 1000 pictures a night of bees crashing here in DE :) 
 
Hybrid Mode 01 said:
     Was there anything on the backs of the leaves? Is there any damage to the leaves now that he left?
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I didn't notice anything on the back earlier and there is no damage to the leaves.  It is really windy outside.  I'm guessing he was either just taking a break, or maybe some pollen blew onto a leaf and he was enjoying it.
 
juanitos said:
there is such a thing as a leafcutter bee, but you would notice him cutting a little circle i think.
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He was also a pollinator - he eventually got to the flowers.  Thankfully, no holes in the leaves.  He was a very small bee though.  I don;t know if this indicates a different type of bee.
 
smokemaster said:
Might have not be a bee.
Adult syrphid flies eat pollen before they lay eggs=same with Green lacewings.
 
http://www.bugguide.net/node/view/196
 
A good guy.Laeva eat bad guys.
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I checked out pictures online and this was exactly the type of insect I saw.  I thought something was odd with the insect's behavior.  I've watched a lot of bees work and have never seen one spend so much time on leaves when there were so many delicious flowers nearby.  Also, it crawled around on the plant more than it flew around.  If it helped pollinate, then I am all for it.
 
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