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Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Photo by Jae
Published on Project Noah
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52.2515, 6.13887

Field Notes

Description:

Bombus terrestris, the Buff-tailed bumblebee is one of the most numerous bumblebee species in Europe. The queen is 2.0–2.7 cm long, while the workers are 1.5–2.0 cm. The latter are characterized by their white-ended abdomens and look apart from their yellowish bands being darker in direct comparison. The queens of Bombus terrestris have the namesake buff-white abdomen tip; this area is white like in the workers in Bombus lucorum. These bees can navigate their way back to the nest from a distance as far away as 13 km, although most forage within 5 km of their nest.

Habitat:

This bee is native to Europe, coastal north Africa, and west and central Asia. The Buff-tailed bumblebee pollinates fruit trees, raspberries, and blueberries, as well as greenhouse-grown tomatoes. The Buff-tailed bumblebee can be found in a wide range of habitats across its distribution range, such as parklands, marshes, urban and coastal areas.

Notes:

Spotted in rural area of Deventer, Holland.

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