Bombus

BumblebeeID - find British species by colour pattern

3 extremely rare / extinct species Three species are either extremely rare or may have gone extinct within Britain. It is very unlikely that they will be encountered, but the possibility that they are present at a few localities in very low numbers always remains. Other species are: (1) widely distributed and often abundant (2) restricted to few localities in the south (3) restricted to few localities in the northwest (4) cuckoos in the nests of other bumblebees. back to start

queen	queen/worker	queen/worker	worker
male	male

Distinguishing similar species:
Unlike B. hortorum and B. ruderatus, B. subterraneus queens and workers (1) have very short even hair, (2) usually have narrow pale fringes to abdominal segments 2 and 3, and (3) have the clypeus shining and almost without punctures; and males can be distinguished by their genitalia.
Unlike B. jonellus, B. subterraneus (1) are very large with very short even hair, (2) have the head longer than broad, and (3) queens and workers have a spine on the mid basitarsus (see Prys-Jones & Corbet, 1987, 1991).
Unlike B. campestris, B. subterraneus pale males (1) have yellow faces, and (2) can be distinguished by their genitalia.

'Short-haired Humble-bee' (Sladen, 1912; Step, 1932) 'Short-haired bumblebee' (BBCT) taxonomy and nomenclature	A large species with a long tongue, emerging in late spring, and nesting below the surface of the ground. In its nest structure, Sladen (1912) describes it as a 'pocket-making' 'pollen-primer' species with a large first brood. Colonies of this species are small.
Habitat	Flower-rich heathland and grassland (Williams, 1988). Probably also formerly in flower-rich low-intensity farmland.
British distribution	England and Wales, absent from Scotland and the Scilly Isles. It has not been recorded since 1988 and may now be extinct here (see declines). Data from Alford (1980) are mapped on a 10 km grid (left) to show local patchiness and on a 50 km grid (right) to show changes in the regional pattern (dark blue - post 1960; light blue - pre 1960 only):
Worldwide distribution	Indigenous distribution in Europe east to Iran and from the Tien Shan east to Mongolia. World distribution mapped on an equal-area grid (dark blue - specimens identified by PHW; light blue - literature records; white - expected distribution):

queen/worker

male

Distinguishing similar species:
Unlike B. lapidarius, B. cullumanus queens and workers have the hind basitarsi without many orange short feathered hairs on their outer surface (see Prys-Jones & Corbet, 1987, 1991); and males (1) usually have brownish yellow face and bands and (2) can be distinguished by their genitalia.
Unlike B. ruderarius, B. cullumanus queens and workers have the long hairs of the pollen baskets (corbiculae) on the hind legs entirely black; and males (1) have the face yellow and (2) the antennae are short.
Unlike B. pomorum and the dark form of B. sylvarum, B. cullumanus queens and workers have the mid basitarsi with the posterior angle rounded without a spine (see Prys-Jones & Corbet, 1987, 1991); and males (1) have short antennae and (2) can be distinguished by their genitalia.

'Cullum's Humble-bee' (Sladen, 1912; Step, 1932) taxonomy and nomenclature	A medium-sized species with a short tongue, emerging in late spring. In its nest structure, Sladen (1912) placed it in his group of 'pollen-storer' species, which is undoubtedly correct, although the nest has not been described. Most records are for males in August and September, but a very few queens and workers have been collected (Yarrow, 1954; Alford, 1975).
Habitat	Chalk grassland (Yarrow, 1954).
British distribution	Southern England, absent from Wales, Scotland and the Scilly Isles. It has not been recorded since 'c. 1941' (BMNH collection) and is probably extinct here (Alford, 1975). Data from Alford (1980) are mapped on a 10 km grid (left) to show local patchiness and on a 50 km grid (right) to show changes in the regional pattern (light blue - pre 1960 only):
Worldwide distribution	Europe east to the Tien Shan, and possibly east to the Pacific. World distribution mapped on an equal-area grid (dark blue - specimens identified by PHW; light blue - literature records; white - expected distribution):

queen/worker

male

Distinguishing similar species:
Unlike B. lapidarius and B. cullumanus, B. pomorum queens and workers (1) have the head much longer than broad, and (2) have the mid basitarsi with the posterior angle produced as a spine (see Løken, 1973); and males (1) have long antennae and (2) can be distinguished by their genitalia.
Unlike B. ruderarius and the dark form of B. sylvarum, B. pomorum queens and workers have the head much longer than broad (see Løken, 1973); and males can be distinguished by their genitalia.

'Apple Humble-bee' (Sladen, 1912) taxonomy and nomenclature	A medium-sized species with a long tongue, emerging in late spring, nesting below the surface of the ground. In its nest structure, it should probably be placed in Sladen's (1912) group of 'pocket-making' 'pollen-primer' species.
Habitat	Sand dunes and marshes (Alford, 1975).
British distribution	Only recorded from England (Kent), absent from Wales, Scotland and the Scilly Isles. It has not been recorded since 1864 and is almost certainly extinct here (Alford, 1975). Data from Alford (1980) are mapped on a 10 km grid (left) to show local patchiness and on a 50 km grid (right) to show changes in the regional pattern (light blue - pre 1960 only):
Worldwide distribution	Europe east to Iran and the Urals. World distribution mapped on an equal-area grid (dark blue - specimens identified by PHW; light blue - literature records; white - expected distribution):

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