Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Size: 1.1–2.2 cm · 0.1–0.9 g
Diet: Nectarivore
Activity: Diurnal
Sociality: Colony
Lifespan: less than 1 year

The buff-tailed bumblebee is a social bumblebee with a round hairy body and pale tail. It is an important pollinator of grassland, woodland edge, gardens, and crops.

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Key facts

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is a nectarivore animal classified as Invertebrate.
Primary habitats are grassland · forest · urban, with a range across Palearctic.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is colony, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
The buff-tailed bumblebee is a social bumblebee with a round hairy body and pale tail.
It occupies grassland, woodland, and urban greenspace in the Palearctic.
Typical lifespan: less than 1 year

Sources

wikidata.org

Range

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It occupies grassland, woodland, and urban greenspace in the Palearctic. Nests are often made in old burrows or grassy cavities.

Appearance

Length 1.1-2.2 cm; weight 0.1 g-0.85 g. The black body has yellow bands and a buff to whitish tail. Dense hair helps retain heat and carries pollen.

Behavior

Diurnal and colonial, it lives in nests with a queen and workers. Workers patrol flowers and can buzz-pollinate blossoms by vibration.

Feeding

A nectarivore, adults use nectar for energy and collect pollen to feed larvae. They visit many wildflowers and crops.

Reproduction

An overwintered queen founds a nest in spring, and workers build the colony through summer. New queens and males are produced late in the season, and mated queens overwinter.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.