Xylocopa

 A painting by Michael Rothman of female carpenter bees visiting the flowers of the sapucaia tree (Lecythis pisonis). The painting is based on observations made by Scott A. Mori in Bahia, Brazil. The bees remove sterile pollen from the hood of the flower as feed for their larvae. At the same time, fertile pollen rubs off on their heads and back. The fertile pollen is transfered to other flowers in other trees subsequently visited by the bees.