7002 – common carder bumblebee & toadflax – allotment bristol – gouache & wax crayon – c. A3

The only species of bee I’ve seen visiting the toadflax, but there are ants and tiny beetles trying to find access to the nectar. The opening is above the pouting orange lip but has a rim of hairs which make it hard for these pygmies to enter… it needs the weight of a bumble to open the hatch.
The common carders have really long tongues, I’d guess not as long as garden bumbles…. but the gardens all seem preoccupied with nasturtiums.