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Great Yellow bumblebee

Bombus distinguendus

Basic Information

Common name: Great Yellow bumblebee
Scientific name: Bombus distinguendus

A big, fluffy yellow bee with black band across thorax.

Only found in far north of Scotland, Orkney and Hebrides.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusRare
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionLocalised
Tail ColourYellow Tail

Keynotes

  • Very rare

  • Emerge quite late - from mid-May

  • Only found in the very north of Scotland and some islands

  • Queens, workers and males have same pattern

  • Likes wildflower meadows, machair and coastal dunes

Nest Information

  • Underground; like old rodent nests

  • 1 nest cycle per year

  • Lasts 4 - 5 months

  • Small: around 50 - 80 workers

Distribution

  • Very rare

  • Only found in Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney and Hebrides

  • Habitat: associated with coastal dunes and flower-rich grasslands

 

Castes

QUEEN

May
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Yellow face

  2. Collar & rear band

  3. All yellow

  4. Yellow tail

Tail:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Head:

WORKER

June
WORKER diagram
No Photo

  1. Yellow face

  2. Collar & rear band

  3. All yellow

  4. Yellow tail

Tail:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Head:

MALE

August
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Yellow face

  2. Collar & rear band

  3. All yellow

  4. Yellow tail

Tail:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Head:

Flower Preferences

Long tongue. Likes clover, vetches and knapweed.

  • Bird's-foot trefoils

  • Cat's-ear

  • Devil's-bit scabious

  • Garden crane's-bill

  • Harebell

  • Phacelia

  • Thistles

  • Wild carrot

  • Yellow-rattle

🌼

Kidney vetch

Knapweed

Knapweed

Centaurea

🌼

Red clover