With their striking yellow or white facial markings, these bees truly live up to their name – the masked bandits of the pollinator world. But their distinct looks aren’t the only thing that sets them apart.

Unlike most bees that collect pollen on their scopal hairs (hairs that enable bees to transport pollen), Masked bees take a different approach – they swallow pollen and store it in a special compartment in their stomach until they return to their nest.

Many Masked bee species are tiny, allowing them to access nectar and pollen that larger pollinators can’t. Smooth criminals indeed.