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Brown-banded carder bee

Bombus humilis

Basic Information

Common name: Brown-banded carder bee
Scientific name: Bombus humilis

Small, fluffy, ginger. Dark ginger thorax and brown 'belt'.

Mainly found on the south coasts of England and Wales.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusRare
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionLocalised
Tail ColourGinger Tail

Keynotes

  • Late flying bee - forages into Autumn

  • Black hairs at wing base - no black hairs on abdomen

  • Resemble Common Carder and Moss Carder bee

  • In south, more likely Brown-banded rather than Moss carder

Nest Information

  • Ground surface in long grass; occasionally underground

  • Covers nest with grass and moss

  • Usually 1 nest cycle per year

  • April - October

  • Small: around 50 - 100 workers

Distribution

  • Mainly on south coast of England and Wales - but moving north

  • Habitat: heathland, flower-rich meadows and grasslands, coastal dunes, flowery brownfield sites

Castes

QUEEN

May
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger

  2. Ginger, pale sides

  3. Ginger, dark band

  4. Ginger

Tail:Ginger/Yellow tail
Thorax:All Ginger
Abdomen:Multiple ginger bands, All Yellow/Ginger
Head:Ginger Head

WORKER

June
WORKER diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger

  2. Ginger, pale sides

  3. Ginger, dark band

  4. Ginger

Tail:Ginger/Yellow tail
Thorax:All Ginger
Abdomen:All Yellow/Ginger, Multiple ginger bands
Head:Ginger Head

MALE

June
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Ginger

  2. Ginger, pale sides

  3. Ginger, dark band

  4. Ginger

Tail:Ginger/Yellow tail
Thorax:All Ginger
Abdomen:All Yellow/Ginger, Multiple ginger bands
Head:Ginger Head

Flower Preferences

Long tongue. Likes flower-rich meadows and loves clover!

  • Cat's-ear

  • Everlasting peas

  • Hawk's-beard

  • Knapweed

  • Red clover

  • Roses

  • Vetches

  • White dead nettles

  • Wild basil

🌼

Bird's-foot trefoil

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Honeysuckle

🌼

Scabious