Publication Type:
ReportSource:
U. S. Forest Service and the Pollinator Partnership, Washington, DC, p.143 (2012)Call Number:
U12KOC01IDUSURL:
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/BumbleBeeGuideWestern2012.pdfKeywords:
Bombus appositus, Bombus bifarius, Bombus californicus, Bombus fernaldae, Bombus fervidus, Bombus flavifrons, Bombus frigidus, Bombus griseocollis, Bombus huntii, Bombus insularis, Bombus melanopygus, Bombus mixtus, Bombus morrisoni, Bombus occidentalis, Bombus rufocinctus, Bombus sitkensis, Bombus suckleyi, Bombus sylvicola, Bombus vagans, SWAPAbstract:
There are over 3,000 described bee species in the United States, and all but a few are native to North America. Of these, about 40 species belong to the genus Bombus, the bumble bees. Bumble bees are corbiculate (they have pollen baskets on their hind legs), social bees that live and work in colonies headed by a single queen who is the mother of all the other nest residents. (There are currently 250 described bumble bee species worldwide.) The best approach in identifying a bumble bee to species is to consider multiple traits, as color mimicry is common and some species can look nearly identical, especially when flying. This document gives a summary overview of bumble bee habitat, diet, life cycle, and body design, and provides photos, diagrams, and range maps for each of the 30 bumble bee species known to occur in the western half of the continental United States. A dichotomous key designed by two of the authors is also included.
Notes:
ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Invertebrates
Additional information: Funding provided by the Pollinator Partnership, U.S. Forest Service, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
Koch J, Strange J, Williams P. 2012. Bumble bees of the western United States. Washington (DC): US Forest Service. 143 p. [accessed 2015 Jun 1]. http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/BumbleBeeGuideWes....