Irritable tongue grooming by a male Osmia lignaria bee after ingesting nectar of death-camas

Pollen and nectar from two species of death-camas (Toxicoscordion, formerly Zigadenus) from the western USA contain neurotoxic steroidal alkaloids, including zygacine. When freshly emerged males of the generalist bee, Osmia lignaria, are placed on a fresh panicle of flowers, they avidly drink nectar from several flowers, then stop to begin manically grooming their mouthparts, whose sensory cells are presumably irritated by the general neurotoxin.