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Red-shanked carder bee

Bombus ruderarius

Basic Information

Common name: Red-shanked carder bee
Scientific name: Bombus ruderarius

Black with orange-red tail. Look for red leg hairs.

Mostly in south and east England; localised in the Hebrides.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusRare
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionLocalised
Tail ColourRed Tail

Keynotes

  • One of UK's rarest species

  • Resemble Red-tailed bumblebees but have orange-red tail and orange leg hair; and male Red-shanked bumblebees have black (rather than yellow) faces

  • Emerge quite late and usually gone by August

Nest Information

  • Ground nesting in long grass, under ground in old rodent nests

  • Use grass and moss to cover nest

  • 1 cycle per year

  • Lasts 3-4 months

  • Small: around 20 -100 workers

Distribution

  • Isolated to sites in the south England, south Wales and Inner Hebrides

  • Habitat: open, flower-rich habitats, brownfield sites, grasslands, coastal marshes, road verges

Castes

QUEEN

April
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Black face

  2. All black

  3. Orange-red tail

  4. Orange-red leg hair

Tail:Red Tail
Thorax:All Black
Abdomen:Black / Red Tail
Head:Black Head

WORKER

April
WORKER diagram
No Photo

  1. Black face

  2. All black

  3. Orange-red tail

  4. Orange-red leg hairs

Tail:Red Tail
Thorax:All Black
Abdomen:Black / Red Tail
Head:Black Head

MALE

July
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Black face

  2. Narrow collar & rear bands

  3. Orange-red tail

  4. Orange-red leg hairs

Tail:Red Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Multiple yellow bands, Front Band / Red Tail
Head:Black Head

Flower Preferences

Medium-tongue. Likes blackberry and thistles.

  • Brambles

  • Bird's-foot trefoil

  • Black horehound

  • Clover

  • Ground ivy

  • Kidney vetch

  • Knapweed

  • Scabiouses

  • Viper's-bugloss

🌼

Stork's bills

Thistle

Thistle

Cirsium

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White dead-nettles