We propose and demonstrate a tapered hollow annular core fiber (HACF) coupler for excitation of whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) of an embedded microsphere resonator. The coupler is simply fabricated by fusion splicing of a segment of HACF with the single-mode fiber (SMF), and then improved by tapering the splicing joint to reduce the cone-apex angle. Therefore, the coupling efficiency from the SMF to the HACF is enhanced to excite various WGMs via evanescent field coupling. Normal positive, negative symmetrical Lorentzian and asymmetric Fano line shapes can be obtained by varying the resonator size and location. Another interesting phenomenon is observed that a higher Q-factor mode in a lower Q-factor mode has a contrast as high as 58. Temperature sensing with good stability is also demonstrated. This embedded WGM microsphere resonator in the tapered HACF is expected to promote environmental adaptability in practical applications due to its simplicity and robustness.