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White-tailed bumblebee (aggregate)

Bombus lucorum (aggregate)

White-tailed bumblebee (aggregate)

Basic Information

Common name: White-tailed bumblebee (aggregate)
Scientific name: Bombus lucorum (aggregate)

Two bright-yellow bands, white tail.

They like flowery gardens and meadows!

Classification

Bee TypeBumblebee
StatusCommon
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourWhite Tail

Keynotes

  • Group of 3 different bees: White-tailed, Northern and Cryptic

  • Dark form is all black, but always has white tail

  • Males can have multiple pale-yellow abdomen bands

  • Will nectar rob from deep flowers

Nest Information

  • Underground; love old rodent nests

  • 1 cycle per year - maybe 2 if a warm year

  • Lasts about 6 months

  • Around 200 workers

Distribution

  • Widespread across UK

  • Found across most habitats but do like flowery gardens and meadows

Castes

QUEEN

February
QUEEN diagram
No Photo

  1. Fluffy, black face

  2. Wide yellow collar*

  3. Yellow mid-band*

  4. White tail

Tail:White Tail
Thorax:Yellow Collar
Abdomen:Mid Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head

WORKER

March
WORKER diagram
No Photo

  1. Fluffy, black face

  2. Wide yellow collar*

  3. Yellow mid-band*

  4. White tail

Tail:White Tail
Thorax:Yellow Collar
Abdomen:Mid Band / White Tail
Head:Black Head

MALE

May
MALE diagram
No Photo

  1. Fluffy, yellow face*

  2. Collar & rear band*

  3. Yellow mid-band*

  4. White tail

Tail:White Tail
Thorax:Yellow collar and rear band
Abdomen:Mid Band / White Tail
Head:Yellow Head

Flower Preferences

Short tongue. Like willows, flowering currants and brambles.

  • Buddleia

  • Heather

  • Knapweed

  • Scabiouses

  • Teasel

  • Thistle

  • Umbellifers

  • Viper's bugloss

  • White clover

🌼

Brambles

🌼

Flowering currants

Willow

Willow

Salix