Insect and Spider Identification: CLOSED: Large black and white bumble bee.., 0 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
I missed this first time, I have something similar, wish it was easier to ID these!

There is also B. vestalis which can be very similar with minor differences, males and females of the two can look alike. With worn specimens it makes it all the harder to see detail, the collar band can fade from yellow to nearly white, and at some angles it looks all white. The tails are supposed to be an indication but with hair loss and fading that too is difficult.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/_key_...

You can do a search by colour band using this key,

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/key_b...

Only B. bohemicus is described on the Scottish recording site,

http://www.brisc.org.uk/bbck.php


On BWARS they mention a slight difference in the females (queens as the don't need worker females!) of B. bohemicus and B. vestalis, being the yellow patches at the sides of the white tail section being lessintense yellow and smaller! Hmm, worn specimens need microscopic ID.

http://www.bwars.com/bombus_bohemicus.htm

http://www.bwars.com/Bombus_vestalis.htm

Then going to the NHM it states B, bohemicus is seen earlier in spring, I have got a pic of a female flying off on 21st April, it was huge and has a very dark golden band so is most likely B. vestalis.

http://www.bwars.com/Bombus_vestalis.htm

Reading the description on the NHM site, B. vestalis has short even hair, and golden yellow bands. B. bohemicus has long hair, and lemon yellow bands.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/bombus/_key_...

Those I have had more recently are another matter, lol, I can just see faded yellow at the top edges of the white tail. They are also very faded, with some looking nearly white on the band, otheres a little more dirty brown looking.

This is what I think is B. vestalis, the on taken on 21st April.