Small garden bumblebee  (Bombus hortorum)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Description

This is a large bumblebee, which has a fairly 'scruffy' appearance with long hair (3). It is a yellow, black and white banded species (2), with a long head. The tongue, which is as long as the body, is the longest of all bumblebees found in central Europe (4). Three 'castes' occur within bumblebee nests, a 'queen' (the reproductive female), 'workers' (non-reproductive females) and males (5). All three castes are broadly similar in appearance, but males can be distinguished as they lack stings and have longer antennae than females (5).

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