guide are all female bees. bees. female all are guide

Yellow-headed bee Yellow-headed Black-headed bee Black-headed are intermediate between these varieties. these between intermediate are

segment. longer hair. Bumble bees pictured and described in this this in described and pictured bees Bumble hair. longer

most commonly found color patterns. Some bees bees Some patterns. color found commonly most

abdominal abdominal 4 the on hair white or black ith w and abdomens. Males sometimes have larger eyes and and eyes larger have sometimes Males abdomens. and

th

B. occidentalis B. represent the the represent of varieties three These

pack pollen) on their hind legs, and shorter antennae antennae shorter and legs, hind their on pollen) pack B. occidentalis B. to opposed as segment, abdominal

sometimes sometimes pollen baskets (an indentation onto which they they which onto indentation (an baskets pollen

Rocky Mountains to to Mountains Rocky

These look-a-like bees have yellow hair on the 4 the on hair yellow have bees look-a-like These

th

black hair on the face. face. the on hair black common in late summer and early fall. Females have have Females fall. early and summer late in common

B. occidentalis B. with all all with to opposed as face, the on Workers and queens are both female. Males can be be can Males female. both are queens and Workers (cuckoo bee) (cuckoo

Bombus fernaldae Bombus

Females are found through spring, summer and early fall. fall. early and summer spring, through found are Females These look-a-like bees have prominent yellow hair hair yellow prominent have bees look-a-like These

(cuckoo bee) (cuckoo

leg thinner leg wider leg Bombus insularis Bombus

male hind male hind female

13 segments 13 segments 12

male antenna male antenna female

east to to east

(cuckoo bee) (cuckoo

British Columbia, Columbia, British

Bombus suckleyi Bombus californicus Bombus

Northern California to to California Northern Central coastal coastal Central 7 segments 7 segments 6

male abdomen male abdomen female

Bombus caliginosus Bombus vandykei Bombus

Female hind legs are wider than male hind legs. hind male than wider are legs hind Female

Females have 12 antennal segments versus 13 in males. males. in 13 versus segments antennal 12 have Females

Females have 6 abdominal segments versus 7 in males. in 7 versus segments abdominal 6 have Females yellow on the head the on yellow varieties abdominal segment abdominal th 4 the on Bombus occidentalis Bombus

ale or female ? female or ale M

imilar female bees with bees female imilar S female ommon C imilar female bees with yellow yellow with bees female imilar S

Historic range of Bombus occidentalis Other common bumble bees of western North America There are around 30 bumble bee species present in western North America. Females of some of the most pocket guide to identifying commonly found bees are pictured here. Some species pictured have varieties with different coloration. the western For more identification information, visit www.discoverlife.org and www.bugguide.net bumble bee

, A Monograph Found in coastal areas Bombus occidentalis 1971

Bombus nevadensis Bombus griseocollis of the Western Hemisphere . Map based on Milliron Bombus melanopygus Bombus bifarius (edwardsii) (nearcticus) The western bumble bee was once commonly found n r in the and Canada. They can u b still be found in northern and eastern parts of their h itc historic range, but populations from southern British D k Columbia to central California have nearly disappeared Bombus mixtus Bombus huntii Found in the mountains and northern areas rric De in recent years. Your efforts to search for this bee Photo by will help document their current range. The Xerces Society and scientists studying bumble bee decline www.xerces.org/bumblebees will use this information to promote conservation of remaining B. occidentalis populations. THE XERCES SOCIETY If you findBombus occidentalis, please contact [email protected] FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION Visit www.xerces.org/bumblebees for more information. Bombus melanopygus Bombus bifarius Funding for bumble bee conservation provided by the CS Fund. Bombus morrisoni Bombus appositus Guide developed and illustrated by Elaine Evans, The Xerces Society. Thanks to Dr. Robbin Thorp, UC Davis.