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Black tailed bumble bee

Bombus melanopygus

Published on Project Noah
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45.5143, -122.62

Field Notes

Description:

Beautiful orange-colored bumblebee, larger than the yellow ones it was sharing this bush with. Orange almost to the bottom of its abdomen, then black.

Habitat:

Ceanothus, california lilac bush

Notes:

Extremely active; harvests alongside other bumblebees. Very hard to capture with an iPad :(. This was all I could get before it started buzzing warningly at my face!

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)
Allen Hoof
Hayley, I note that you've changed your ID, and I think you're also right regarding my spotting! Portland is in the range of B. melanopygus, and visually, online images of B. melanopygus are almost exactly the same as mine.
HayleyBoBailey
I had someone at bumblebeewatch.org identify it, and he thought it was actually melanopygus.
Allen Hoof
Based on the appearance of the bee in your first and second images, I think B. huntii is probably the correct ID.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Pollinating Insects of the World
Mission
Portland: Urban Biodiversity
Mission
Pacific Northwest: Arthropod Ages and Stages

Tags

Photographed
PublishedMay 26, 2014

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