University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Extension 2000 EC00-1564 A Guide To Identifying Nebraska Bumble Bee Species Marion D. Ellis University of Nebraska - Lincoln, [email protected] Doug Golick University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist Part of the Agriculture Commons, and the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Ellis, Marion D. and Golick, Doug, "EC00-1564 A Guide To Identifying Nebraska Bumble Bee Species" (2000). Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. 2011. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/2011 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Extension at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. : :'-:-:' - :^''_._:;l.q A Guide To Identiir it'.E Nebraska' Bumble Bee bpecles 3, D:-g Gc rck, Graduate Research Assistant l,lar cr Ellis. Extension Entomologist Unii,ersity of Nebraska Deparlment of Entomology ALI illustrations by Doug Golick This guide is parl of a cooperative project of the: University of Nebraska Department of Entomology; Lincoln Public Schools Science Focus Program; <...:,. r:)r' and the Folsom Children's Zoo. lt is partially funded by a grant f rom the Nebraska Lottery's Educational lnnovation Fund. @ Copyright by the University of Nebraska, 2000 on the Web: http ://b u m b I ebooste rs. u n l . ed u For more information on bumble bee biology, distribution, identification and links to related sites, visit the Bumble Boosters Web site. Links are also included to schools cooperating to conduct research on Nebraska bumble bees. Anyone interested in natural history can make original discoveries about bumble bees. The Bumble Boosters Web site provides rdeas and gurdance for investigating bumble bees and pl3n1s thsy ,., 3 1. Table of Contents \rq/hy Bumble Bees Are lmportant ...........1 ......'.....6 Capturing Bumble Bees....,..... ........7 tvlaking a Reference Collection .......8 The Bee Family Tree............ ......... 10 The Bumble Bee Family Tree............ ............... 11 Bumble Bee Mimics ......................12 How to Use the ldentification Guide .................14 Bee ldentification Guide ................17 Checklist of Nebraska Species .....17 ExternalMorphologyofBumbleBees.......... .......................52 Glossary .....................57 Additional Resources ....................60 About Bumble Boosters ..............61 Data Sheet for Collection Specimens ................ ............"... 62 5 Why Bumble Bees are Important For most people, pollen means wildlife, increase soil fertility, and allergies and bees mean stings. beautify our landscapes. However, you should thank a bee, ln an era when human activities butterfly, bat, bird, or other pollinator have reduced nesting habitat and for one out of every three bites of food forage plants, we need to consider the you eat. Pollination is the transfer of impact we have on planVpollinator pollen from one flower to another. lt is relationships. Pollinators are a critical a critical step in fruit and seed produc- link in the ecosystems of both wild and tion. Some plants produce generous agricultural lands and play an impor- quantities of pollen and rely on the tant role in the interconnectedness of wind to transfer pollen. Many plant life in general. Bumble bees are a species, however, produce smaller great place to begin. They are beautiful amounts of pollen and have elaborate native insects whose distribution and mechanisms to attract pollinators. abundance can be nurtured by There are 95 crops grown in the pro,,,iding surtable nesting habitat and United States that require insect i^-^^^ ^ ^^+^ pollinators. ln additio". ma'\' 3ee- ool inated pla.ts c.c,,, ie '::: ': - Capturing Bumble Bees o ^ --^- -{ ^-- - o- -^ LceEE>- v =:!€C3Si' handled carelessly. Males do not nale a'3:l^e r are act ,.re :n NebrasKa f rom a stinger. Ac:r to October. Dut tney are most For observation. captured bumble abundant in summer. They can be bees should be chilled in a small easily collected from flowers, areas cooler with an ice block for 30 minutes. near their nesls. or as they fly along at When chilled to the point that they are ground level in search of a suitable unable to fly, specimens can be nesting site. Bumble bees can be transferred to a magnifying box or captured in an insect net and then placed on a flat surface for observation transferred to small glass jars. They with a hand lens. They should not be also can be captured on flowers by taken far from the point of capture and placing a glass jar over them and should be released when you are quickly covering it with a lid. A captive finished observing them. Capture and bumble bee will always try to escape release is recommended in the early rather than use its stinger; however, spring when overwintered queens are females can and will sting if touched or establishing their nests. Making a Reference Collection When making a reference collection, All specimens should be labeled with capture bumble bees in a kill jar the date, place of capture and the charged with ethyl acetate or in a net, collector's name. The data label and transfer them to a kill jar. Speci- should be placed on the pin beneath mens should remain in kill jars for 30 the specimen. minutes. Jars must be protected from After two or three days, sPecimens sunlight to prevent condensation will dry and become brittle. TheY because excess moisture may cause should be handled carefully to avoid body hair to become wet or matted. breaking appendages. This can make the specimen difficult to Reference collections will remain in identify. Reference collections should good condition indefinitely if protected be made in late spring and summer from insects that damage stored when queens have established their products. This can be achieved bY nests. Pin specimens by insertlng an placing a fert moth crystals in sicrage insect pin through the top of the thorax boxes. Lateral view of pinned bumble bee Top view of pinned bumble bee specimen. specimen. Bee Family There are approximately 20,000 clearly see the branched hair as species of bees worldwide. About shown in the illustration. 3,500 species occur in North America. AII bees belong to the super family Most are solitary and nest in soil or Apoidea. They are classified into nine hollow plant stems. families based largely on tongue length Bees feed on pollen and nectar and and how they transport pollen. have branched body hairs for pollen collection. Most other insects lack body hairs or have a few unbranched hairs. Careful examination for the presence of branched hairs is usually sufficient to identify an insect as a bee. A dissecting microscope is needed to Branched hair of bee The Bumble Bee Famiir free -.'-= - l -:.= =_.: =_aa. -, - 1..: ; :a= l'::?-l: :^'.' = :--: = :::S s:ea:s :':--:3 Saas ,',:" l,', le ,, -:s ls:. .' =\ 6 E '=l'e-i. T-- -::*:a'a:i =,a= -:.a-- )a Bumb e bees belong to the fam Y z)'=-. -' I-'::e. \:':- .Ar='ca and Apidae, Bumble bees and honey bees As,a. TheL, occur' ,,', rh n ihe Arctic are the only mernbers of this family Circ e hov,,ever, they are virtually found in North America. The family is absent f rom the troprcs. characterized by females having a There are two distlnct types of pollen basket (corbicula) on their hind bumbie bees, The truly industrious legs for transporting pollen. Members genus (Bombus) and the of the genus Psithyrus are an excep- non industrious genus (Psithy rus) tion to the rule and do not have pollen which lacks a worker caste and baskets on their hind legs. 11 Bumble Bee Mimrcs When one animal resembles another The insects likely to be confused living in the same locality, it is called a with bumble bees are: 1) bees in the mimic. Mimicry is common in the insect genus Anthophora; 2) bee hawkmoths; world. Many bumble bees in a region and 3) several species of hairy flies. share a similar appearance. Their sting Female Anthophora, or digger bees, protects them from predators, who carry pollen along the entire length of learn to avoid them based on their color their hind legs rather than in a distinct patterns. This type of mimicry is called pellet in a pollen basket. Bee hawk- "Mullerian" mimicry. Mullerian mimicry moths will have Iong s ohoning is why careful observation is required to mouthpafis coiled under the r head. identify bumble bee species. The best bumble bee mimics are flies, Another common type of mimicry is F ies that mimic bumble bees on y "Batesian" mimicry. ln Batesian mimicry, have o"e oai'o' .'.'':=. T-e', -a'.e one species has a stinger or other defen- clrb-straoeC c'c:-s -? e i ':-:e':s - tH^ r _:,= sive mechanism and another, srmilar- .Jrs-L:.'-,'.^^^ ^^ ^ ^^.^:'=:--: ^ -L ::::: appearing species lacks the defensive necha'ism.rn Batesian -'- c'... a'thougn onr'., 1'e :a:c:i ^r= =:.:':-- >.E -- = : __ = = - -.-- -- Anthophora hind leg. Bee hawkmoth with siphoning Top view of fly. mouthparts (side view). L Steps to Using the Identification Guide (con't) The identification guide is organized with similar appearing bees grouped together and indicated by the color bar on the right. 7. Look at the descriptive information related to the picture you select as the best fit and check to see if all the characteristics described match your specimen lf not, try matching the characteristics with similar specimens. 8. Warm and release chilled specimens. Specimens killed for a reference collection should be pinned and labeled with the date, location collected. and the collector's name. 9. To verify your identification. send your specimen to an expert for confirmation.