The Heath (Bombus jonellus) Queen/Worker/Male Three yellow stripes and a white tail, similar to Garden , Big but smaller with a short tongue and poster round face. Males have bright yellow Common UK bumblebees faces. Photo: Bumblebee worker by Nick Owens The UK has 24 species of bumblebee, some common and some rare! These8 are the eight most common bumblebees you are most likely to see. Tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) Queen/Worker/Male Use this poster to have a go at identifying your local bumblebees. Like all , their bodies have three main Bumblebees listed Recent immigrant from France. by colour pattern segments: the head, thorax (upper body) and abdomen (lower Unique brown, black and white colour body). Looking at the tail colour is the best place to start, then White-tailed pattern. This bumblebee has spread the colour patterns on the rest of the body. rapidly and is now widespread in Ginger-tailed England, Wales and . For a step-by-step guide to identifying bumblebees, visit Red-tailed Photo: Bumblebee worker bumblebeeconservation.org

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Queen Worker Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum) Queen/Worker/Male

Queens and males usually have buff The only common brown bumblebee. tails but workers’ tails are largely Some forms have a very dark white, usually with a hint of buff at the abdomen, but others are very light front margin. Yellow bands slightly and similar to rarer carder bees. darker/dirtier than in the White-tailed. Photo: Bumblebee worker Photo: Queen bumblebee by Andrea Finch

White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) Queen Male Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) Queen Male

Similar to Buff-tailed bumblebee but A common small bee with an tail always pure white and bands orangey-red tail. Has one or two brighter yellow. Males have yellow yellow bands and males have a faces and often extra yellow bands. yellow face. Rarely seen after July. Photo: Queen bumblebee by Andrea Finch Photo: Male bumblebee by Gordon Mackie

Garden bumblebee () Queen/Worker/Male Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) Queen Male

Females are all black, with a red tail. A very long-tongued species with a Males have yellow hair on the face white tail and yellow bands, including and a yellow band at the front of the one at the rear of the thorax. Has a thorax. longer ‘horse-like’ face. Photo: Queen bumblebee by Jack Reid Photo: Male bumblebee by Andrea Finch 1 The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a registered charity (England & Wales 1115634/Scotland SC042830). BBCT167. March 2021. Copyright 2021 ©. All rights reserved.