Back to Bees

Red-tailed cuckoo bee

Bombus rupestris

Basic Information

Common name: Red-tailed cuckoo bee
Scientific name: Bombus rupestris

Big black bee, long body with orange-red tail, dark wings.

Mostly found in central to south England, scarce elsewhere.

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusLess Common
Cuckoo StatusCuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourRed Tail

Keynotes

  • Big bee with long body, thin hair and visible chitin

  • No pollen basket - females have round legs with short hairs

  • Males have pale-yellow bands and fluffy orange/red hairs on legs

  • Use Red-tailed bumblebee as host

Nest Information

  • Uses nests of Red-tailed bumblebees as hosts

  • Underground and enclosed spaces (e.g. under rocks)

  • 1 nest cycle per year

  • Numbers unknown

Distribution

  • Widespread in south of England

  • Rarer further north and west but moving northwards

  • Habitat: many flower-rich habitats but avoids high, exposed areas

Castes

MALE

July
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Boxy face

  2. Pale collar & rear bands

  3. Multiple faint bands

  4. Orange-red tail

Tail:Red Tail
Thorax:All Black, Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Black / Red Tail, All Black
Head:Black Head, Boxy

FEMALE

April
FEMALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Boxy face

  2. Black

  3. Black

  4. Orange-red tail

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

Flower Preferences

Short tongue. Likes a thistle and a dandelion.

  • Devil's-bit scabious

  • Iceplant

  • Kidney vetch

  • Knapweed

  • Lavender

  • Oxeye daisies

  • Ragworts

  • Teasel

  • White clover

🌼

Brambles

Dandelion

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Thistle

Thistle

Cirsium