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Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee

Bombus sylvestris

Basic Information

Common name: Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee
Scientific name: Bombus sylvestris

Two yellow bands, white tail with yellow trim or little red tip.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusLess Common
Cuckoo StatusCuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourWhite Tail

Keynotes

  • Earliest emerging cuckoo bee

  • Small and fluffy; females have downcurved abdomen

  • Males are variable but usually have distinctive white tail with black band and red tip

Nest Information

  • Uses nests of Early bumblebee as hosts

  • Occasionally uses nests of Heath and Bilberry bumblebees as hosts

  • Underground, or on surface in thick vegetation, in bird boxes, tree holes, roof gaps

  • Numbers unknown

Distribution

  • Widespread across UK

  • Can be very common in some areas - but less common in Ireland

  • Habitat: strongly associated with woodlands, also found in gardens, parks, heathland, moorlands, grasslands

Castes

MALE

May
No Diagram
No Photo

  1. Boxy, black face

  2. Yellow collar

  3. Front band*

  4. White tail with black band and red tip*

Tail:Buff tail, Ginger/Yellow tail, White with red tip, White Tail
Thorax:Yellow Collar
Abdomen:All Black, Front Band / Buff Tail, Front Band / White Tail, Black / White Tail
Head:Black Head, Boxy

FEMALE

March
No Diagram
No Photo

  1. Boxy, black face

  2. Yellow collar

  3. Front band*

  4. White tail, yellow trim

Tail:White Tail, White with yellow trim
Thorax:Yellow Collar
Abdomen:All Black, Front Band / White Tail, Black / White Tail
Head:Black Head, Boxy

Flower Preferences

Short tongue. Visits dandelions, dead-nettles and bilberry.

  • Bilberry

  • Brambles

  • Dandelions

  • Dead-nettles

  • Devil's-bit scabious

  • Thistles

🌼

Bilberry

Dandelion

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

🌼

Dead-nettle