DSCN3786

A bumble bee (probably Bombus affinis, Apidae, identified by Gary Parsons) foraging on spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa, Asteraceae). Also called star thistle, it is a good nectar plant for bees, but the plant is considered an agressive weed because it produces allelopathic chemicals to kill other nearby plants and creating a monoculture of itself. Beal Botanical Garden, MSU campus. August 7, 2003.