White-tailed bumblebee  (Bombus lucorum)

Species information

Videos and images

Authentication

Information authenticated by Dr O. Prys-Jones with the support of the British Ecological Society:
http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/

Glossary

Hibernate/ hibernation: hibernation is a winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal's metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is 'diapause', a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter.
Larvae:  stage in an animal's lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce.
Nearctic: the region including north America south to Mexico.
Palaearctic region: the region that includes Europe, the part of Asia to the north of the Himalayan-Tibetan barrier, North Africa and most of Arabia.
Pupae: stage in an insect's development when huge changes occur, which reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis.
Pupal stage: stage in an insect's development, when huge changes occur that reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis.

References

  1. National Biodiversity Network Species Dictionary (September 2003):
    http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nbn
  2. Prys-Jones, O. E. (2004) Pers. comm.
  3. Prys-Jones, O.E. & Corbet, S. A (1991) Bumblebees. Naturalists' Handbooks 6. Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd.
  4. Are Bombus lucorum and magnus separate species? BWARS Newsletter 2000 (1): 15-17. Available on-line at:
    http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/bombus/magnus.html
  5. Prys-Jones, O.E., Olafsson, E. & Kristjansson, K. (1981) The Icelandic bumble bee fauna (Bombus Latr., Apidae) and its distributional ecology. J. Apicultural Research 20 (3): 189-197; and see:
    http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/bombus/bo.html#lucorum
  6. Free, J.B & Butler, C. G (1959) The New Naturalist: Bumblebees. Collins, London.
  7. NHM Distribution and decline of British bumblebees (October 2003):
    http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/bombus/decline.html
  8. English Nature (2003) Help save the bumblebee- get more buzz from your garden (October 2003):
    http://www.english-nature.org.uk/news/news_photo/savegardenbumblesweb.pdf