Description
A honeybee worker in mid-flight with her cargo loaded — those bulging orange saddlebags on her hind legs are corbiculae, pollen baskets, and they’re one of the most elegant pieces of engineering in the insect world. She’s packed them by combing pollen from her whole body forward, moistening it with nectar, and pressing it into a smooth polished brick held in place by a single stiff hair.
A full load can be nearly a third of her body weight, and she’ll fly it home to a hive that may hold fifty thousand of her sisters. Every worker you see is female, and in summer she will work herself to death in about six weeks — a life measured out in flowers.
This is a high-resolution digital download of the photograph, made in Portland, Oregon — yours to print for your home, set as a wallpaper, or simply keep.
What you’ll receive: a high-resolution JPEG, approximately 4800 × 3568 pixels — sharp enough to print at full photo quality up to about 16.0 × 11.9 inches at 300 DPI, and larger for wall display. Delivered as an instant download the moment your order is complete.
License: Personal use only. Print it for your own home, use it as a wallpaper or screen background, enjoy it yourself. Not licensed for commercial use, resale, redistribution, or AI training. © Jonathan Swanson / JonSwan Productions. All rights reserved.