Basic Information
Common name: Heath Bumblebee
Scientific name: Bombus jonellus
Small, fluffy bee with three yellow stripes.
Likes moorland and heathland
Classification
Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusLess Common
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourBuff
Keynotes
• Quite long haired, fluffy thing
• Looks like a small, fluffy Garden bumblebee
• Males have fluffy, yellow face hair
• Often have dark buff tail in the Shetlands and Western Isles
• Often have dark forms, especially queens
Nest Information
• Underground; they like old rodent nests
• Ground-level: under dense vegetation, under bushes, leaf litter, birds nests, holes in trees
• One cycle per year in north, can have two cycles further south
• Short-lived lasting around three months
• About 50 workers
Distribution
- More common in Scotland and along the south coast of England; less common elsewhere
- Tends to be localised to highlands of Scotland and South coast of England
- Like uplands and heathland habitats
Castes
QUEEN
February
No Photo
Black fluffy face
Yellow collar
Yellow rear band
Yellow front band
White tail (buff in Shetland and Western Isles)
Tail:Buff tail, White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Front Band / Buff Tail, Front Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head
WORKER
March
No Photo
Black fluffy face
Yellow collar
Yellow rear band
Yellow front band
White tail (buff in Shetland and Western Isles)
Tail:Buff tail, White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Front Band / Buff Tail, Front Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head
MALE
April
No Photo
Yellow fluffy face
Yellow collar
Yellow rear band
Yellow front band
White tail (buff in Shetland and Western Isles)
Tail:Buff tail, White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Front Band / Buff Tail, Front Band / White Tail
Head:Yellow Head
Flower Preferences
- Bramble
- Clovers
- Heathers
- Knapweed
- Ragwort
- Sallows
- Scabiouses
- Thistle
- Thyme