CLOSED: A bumble bee?

I have only seen this big black and I might add very loud bee twice. I am always so impressed when I see it.

He really is a robust lad.

And when I have seen that big black one, it is always by itself.

I usually see this kind of bee, a smaller brown one. And there are always tons of these buzzing around in a small area.

PS THANKS for your ID

I saw your first picture and wondered if I'd ever seen a bumble type bee with a yellow face, and sure enough there is a "Yellow-faced Bumble Bee" in California, Bombus vosnesenskii


http://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/ants/TESCBiota/kingdom/animalia/phylum/arthropoda/class/insecta/order/hymenoptera/family/apidae/bombus/Bombus/vosnesenskii/vos.htm

http://bugguide.net/node/view/19538

The Las Pilitas site says there are a thousand native bee species in CA.... and the yellow-faced part kind of jumped at me, so I don't know. I don't know if it's your bee but it's a starting point at least.

http://www.laspilitas.com/wildlife/California_Bumble_bees.html

Do you have more pics, even maybe bad ones, that might show more/different parts?

Thanks so much for all your info. By looking at your first link, my guy must be Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski because his thorax pile of scutum in front of his tegulae is yellow. Also his thoracic pleura is black and his face has yellow pile but I couldn't get him to roll over so I could see if his gastral tergum has 4 yellow stripes.

Don't you think?

See his eyes? Black.

neat Bee Kell. Great close ups too

The gastral terga should be visible from the top, and there should be only one yellow stipe, on the fourth terga, not four stripes. But yeah...I guess I got lucky with the yellow face part. haha.

Hi Donna, didn't I sound so smart? LOL

Well Claypa, who knew the bee kept his stomach on his top side? LOL

OK, a Bombus vosnesenskii Radoszkowski he is. Amazing what a long name such a little guy has.

Oh look Claypa, http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Bombus+vosnesenskii&guide=Bumblebees

I see the yellow stripe on his rear end that I can see on this link too. Must be the gastral terga.

Thanks!

Mine sure is pretty. All black and shiny!

The Radoszkowski part is the person who described the species, same as plants. Like Linnaeus... you can skip that part.

If its belly were striped, it would be gastral sterna. Okay, let's hope there's no quiz anytime soon. On to the next bee!

So far, I think it's family Anthophoridae.... any more pics? Might need to see the stripes on its... abdomen.

This message was edited Sep 28, 2007 1:27 AM

ROFL Kell