Updated: Nov 2022
The USA has over 3,000 known species of bee, and of these, about 40 are bumble bees (i.e. of the genus Bombus).
As in other areas of the world, bumble bees are a cause for concern. Bombus franklini and Bombus occidentalis are unfortunately believed to be on the brink of extinction/facing very serious decline.
(Update 2019: Bombus franklini and Bombus occidentalis have been given legal protection in California along with Bombus crotchii and Bombus suckleyi. It's an interesting story! See 'Are Bees Fish In California?').
Threats to bumble bees include:
Wherever possible, please try to do your bit to help if you can.
In particular, try to leave bumble bee nests alone. I do not recommend killing bumble bees even just to 'take a closer look' or 'to collect' them.
For further information, the book, 'Bumble Bees of North America' is a good identification guide. See my review and description of Bumble Bees Of North America.
Another book I heartily recommend is 'The Bees In Your Backyard'.
Here is a list of North American bumble bees, including cuckoo species.
(Note ‘B.’ stands for Bombus).
B. appositus
B. balteatus
B. bifarius bifarius
B. bifarius nearcticus
B. bimaculatus
B. borealis
B. californicus
B. caliginosus
B. centralis
B. crotchii
B. edwardsii
B. fervidus fervidus
B. flavifrons flavifrons
B. fraternus
B. frigidus
B. griseocollis
B. huntii
B. hyperboreus
B. impatiens
B. lucorum lucorum
B. melanopygus
B. mixtus
B. morrisoni
B. nevadensis auricomus
B. nevadensis nevandensis
B. pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus
B. pennsylvanicus sonorus
B. perplexus
B. polaris polaris
B. rufocinctus
B. sandersoni
B. sitkensis
B. sylvicola
B. ternaries
B. terricola occidentalis
B. terricola terricola
B. vagans vagans
B. vandykei
B. vosnesenskii
(Read more about cuckoo bumble bees)
B. ashtoni
B. citrinus
B. crawfordii
B. fernaldae
B. insularis
B. suckleyi
B. variabalis
B. brachycephalus
B. dahlhomii
B. ephippiatus
B. mexicanus
B. pullatus
B. volucella
Ref: Bumblebee Economics by B. Heinrich, Harvard University Press, 2004.
Ever wondered......
Do bumble bees make honey?
For identification charts and further information, see Bee Identification.
Do bees sleep?
Apparently they do, but how do we know?
Go to Bumble bees (introductory page)
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