www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk NOT TO SCALE The Big Six – Common Bumblebees Found in Gardens Buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris Early bumblebee, Bombus pratorum Common carder bee, Bombus pascuorum Queens very large and common in early spring. A small bee, often nesting in tit-boxes. The Abundant everywhere, the only common all- Workers have largely white tail, but usually with a yellow band on the abdomen is sometimes brown bumblebee. Can generally be hint of buff at the front margin. Yellow bands missing in females. Colonies are very short-lived, distinguished from the much rarer brown-banded slightly darker/dirtier than in the white-tailed producing males as early as April. Rarely seen carder by the presence of some black hairs on bumblebee from July onwards the sides of the abdomen

Queen Male Worker Queen Queen (male similar) Red-tailed bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius Garden bumblebee, Bombus hortorum White-tailed bumblebee, Bombus lucorum Very common on chalk downland, frequent in A very long-tongued species preferring deep A common bee, often nesting under garden gardens. Distinguish from the much rarer red- flowers (e.g. foxgloves, Delphinium, sheds. Distinguished from the similar buff-tailed shanked carder bee by black hairs of pollen honeysuckle). Distinguished from the generally bumblebee by pure-white tails and lemon yellow basket on hind legs smaller heath bumblebee by much longer face bands when viewed from the front.

Face

Male Male

Queen Queen Queen

Rarer species sometimes found in gardens

Heath bumblebee, Bombus jonellus Tree bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum Blaeberry bumblebee, Bombus monticola A small bee, found on mountains, moorland, Colonised the UK only in 2001. Very distinctive Easily recognised by the extensive red on the lowland heaths and sometimes in gardens. colouration. Becoming common in gardens in the abdomen. A montane species, found on Distinguished from (larger) garden bumblebee by south of England but is spreading north. Prefers moorland, in open forest and also visiting short heart-shaped face when viewed from front. to nest in holes in trees. lowland meadows. Feeds predominantly on Short tongued, preferring shallow flowers such as blaeberry, heaths, ling and white clover. heather (ling) and cotoneaster.

Face

Queen Queen Queen Note that female ‘true’ bumblebees have pollen Forest cuckoo bumblebee, Bombus sylvestris. Field cuckoo bumblebee, Bombus campestris baskets (B) – a concave area on the hind leg that Widespread throughout UK. Attacks nests of early Widespread and more abundant in the south. Attacks is surrounded by long hairs and is used to carry bumblebees. Males have distinctive reddish tip to nests of common carder bees. Males sometimes pollen. cuckoo bumblebees do not have pollen abdomen. entirely black, distinguished from male ruderal baskets on their hind legs - the area is convex and . bumblebees (dark form) by much shorter face. covered in short hairs.

B

Female Male Male Female ♀ bumblebee ♂ bumblebee ♀ cuckoo ♂ cuckoo