This article is about the flying insect. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described For other uses see Bumblebee (disambiguation) or Bombus (disambiguation).

Bombus
male Bombus terrestris robbing nectar
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Apidae Subfamily: Apinae Tribe: Bombini Genus: Bombus Latreille, 1802
Species
more than 250 species and subspecies in 15 subgenera

Bumblebees (also spelled bumble bee, also known as humblebee) are flying insects of the genus Bombus in the family Apidae. Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee or large earth bumblebee is one of the most numerous Bumblebee species in Europe Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of Insects comprising the sawflies, Wasps Bees and Ants The name refers to Pierre André Latreille ( November 20, 1762 - February 6, 1833) was a French entomologist. The list presented here is derived from a Checklist of world bumblebees (discussing status of species and used in the most recent Bombus Phylogeny. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic

Bumblebees are social insects that are characterized by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. Eusociality ( Greek eu: "good" + "social" is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification However, some species have orange or red on their bodies, or may be entirely black^[1]. Another obvious (but not unique) characteristic is the soft nature of that hair (long, branched setae), called pile, that covers their entire body, making them appear and feel fuzzy. Seta (plural setae) is a biological term derived from the Latin word for " Bristle " They are best distinguished from similarly large, fuzzy bees by the form of the female hind leg, which is modified to form a corbicula; a shiny concave surface that is bare, but surrounded by a fringe of hairs used to transport pollen (in similar bees, the hind leg is completely hairy, and pollen grains are wedged into the hairs for transport). The pollen basket or corbicula is part of the tibia on the hind legs of the four related lineages of apid bees that used to comprise the family Apidae Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes ( pollen grains) which produce the male Gametes (sperm cells of

Like their relatives the honey bees, bumblebees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young. This article refers collectively to all true honey bees for the "common" domesticated honey bee see European honey bee Honey bees Nectar is a Sugar -rich liquid produced by plants It is produced either by the Flowers in which it attracts pollinating animals or by extrafloral

Contents 1 Biology 1.1 Habitat 1.2 Nests 1.3 Colony cycle 1.4 Foraging behavior 1.5 "Cuckoo" bumblebees 1.6 Reproduction 2 Sting 3 Bumblebees and people 3.1 Agricultural use 3.2 Endangered status 4 Bumblebee myths 4.1 Flight 4.2 Buzz 5 Selected species 6 Associated parasites 7 In popular culture 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links

Biology

A bumblebee covered in pollen

Buff-Tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris

Bumblebee on Sea Holly. Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee or large earth bumblebee is one of the most numerous Bumblebee species in Europe The Sea holly (biological binomial term Eryngium maritimum) is a species of Eryngium in the plant family Apiaceae and native

Drone fertilizes bumblebee, early September, southern Ontario, Canada

Buff-Tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris

The blood or hemolymph, as in other arthropods, is carried in an open circulatory system. Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee or large earth bumblebee is one of the most numerous Bumblebee species in Europe Hemolymph or haemolymph is the Blood analogue used by all Arthropods and most Mollusks that have an Open circulatory system. Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " This is an article about the rock music band "Circulatory System" The body organs, "heart" (dorsal aorta), muscles, etc. are surrounded in a reservoir of blood. The dorsal aorta does pulse blood through its long tube, though, so there is a circulation of sorts.

In fertilised queens the ovaries are activated and when the queen lays her egg it passes along the oviduct to the vagina. Oviduct is also another name for Fallopian tube In Oviparous Animals (those that lay eggs, the passage from the ovaries In the vagina there is a container called the spermatheca. The spermatheca (plural spermathecae) is an organ of the female reproductive tract in Insects some Mollusks and certain other Invertebrates This is where the queen stored sperm from her mating. Before she lays the egg she will decide whether to use sperm from the spermatheca to fertilise it or not. Non-fertilised eggs grow into males, and only fertilised eggs grow into females and queens.

As in all animals hormones play a big role in the growth and development of the bumblebee. Hormones (from Greek ὁρμή - "impetus" are chemicals released by cells that affect cells in other parts of the body The hormones that stimulate the development of the ovaries are suppressed in the other female worker bees while the queen remains dominant. Salivary glands in the head secrete saliva which is mixed with the nectar and pollen. For the band see Saliva (band; for the village in Azerbaijan see Səliva. Saliva is also mixed into the nest materials to soften them. The fat body is a nutritional store; before hibernation queens eat as much as they can to enlarge their fat body, and the fat in the cells is used up during hibernation.

Like all bee tongues, the bumblebee tongue (the proboscis) is composed of many different mouthparts acting as a unit, specialised to suck up nectar via capillary action. At rest or when flying the proboscis is kept folded under the head. The abdomen is covered with dorsal tergites and ventral sternites. In Vertebrates such as Mammals the abdomen (belly constitutes the part of the body between the Thorax (chest and Pelvis. A tergum (plural terga, associated adjective tergal) is the dorsal portion of an Arthropod segment other than the head The sternum (pl "sterna" is the Ventral portion of a segment of an Arthropod Thorax or Abdomen. Wax is secreted from glands on the sternites. A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as Hormones or Breast milk, often into the Bloodstream

The brightly-coloured pile of the bumble bee is a form of aposematic signal. Depending on the species and morph, these colours can range from entirely black, to bright yellow, red, orange, white, and pink. Thick pile can also act as insulation to keep the bee warm in cold weather. Further, when flying a bee builds up an electrostatic charge, and as flowers are usually well grounded, pollen is attracted to the bee's pile when it lands. When a pollen covered bee enters a flower, the charged pollen is preferentially attracted to the stigma because it is better grounded than the other parts of the flower. A gynoecium (from Ancient Greek gyne, "woman" is the Female reproductive part of a Flower.

A bumblebee does not have ears, and it is not known whether or how a bumblebee can hear sound waves passing through the air, however they can feel the vibrations of sounds through wood and other materials.

Habitat

Bumblebees are typically found in higher latitudes and/or high altitudes, though exceptions exist (there are a few lowland tropical species)^[2]. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 A few species (Bombus polaris and B. alpinus) range into very cold climates where other bees might not be found; B. polaris can be found in northern Ellesmere Island - the northernmost occurrence of any eusocial insect - along with its parasite, B. Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Eusociality ( Greek eu: "good" + "social" is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification hyperboreus. ^[3] One reason for this is that bumblebees can regulate their body temperature, via solar radiation, internal mechanisms of "shivering" and radiative cooling from the abdomen (called heterothermy). Core temperature, also called core body temperature, is the operating Temperature of an Organism, specifically in deep structures of the body such as the Heterothermic (from Greek hetero = "other" thermy = "heat Other bees have similar physiology, but it has been best studied in bumblebees. Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical ^[4]

Nests

Bumblebees form colonies. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. However, their colonies are usually much less extensive than those of honey bees. This is due to a number of factors including: the small physical size of the nest cavity, the fact that a single female is responsible for the initial construction and reproduction that happens within the nest, and the restriction of the colony to a single season (in most species). Often, mature bumblebee nests will hold fewer than 50 individuals, and may be within tunnels in the ground made by other animals, or in tussock grass. Tussock, referred to as " Bunch grass " in some countries is the common name for a number of Grass species Bumblebees sometimes construct a wax canopy ("involucrum") over top of their nest for protection and insulation. Bumblebees do not often preserve their nests through the winter, though some tropical species live in their nests for several years (and their colonies can grow quite large, depending on the size of the nest cavity). The last generation of summer includes a number of queens who overwinter separately in protected spots. The term queen bee is typically used to refer to an adult mated female that lives in a Honey bee colony or hive she is usually the mother of all the bees in the hive To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the Winter season or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions (cold or Sub-zero temperatures The queens can live up to one year, possibly longer in tropical species.

Colony cycle

Bumblebee nests are first constructed by over-wintered queens in the spring (in temperate areas). Upon emerging from hibernation, the queen collects pollen and nectar from flowers and searches for a suitable nest site. For the ability of certain operating systems see Hibernate (OS feature Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression The characteristics of the nest site vary among bumble bee species, with some species preferring to nest in underground holes and others in tussock grass or directly on the ground. Once the queen has found a site, she prepares wax pots to store food and wax cells into which eggs are laid. These eggs then hatch into larvae, which cause the wax cells to expand isometrically into a clump of brood cells. In Roman mythology, the larvae or lemures (singular lemur) were the spectres or spirits of the dead they were the malignant version of the

These larvae need to be fed both nectar for carbohydrates and pollen for protein in order to develop. Carbohydrates (from ' Hydrates of Carbon ' or saccharides ( Greek σάκχαρον meaning " Sugar " are the most Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl Bumblebees feed larvae nectar by chewing a small hole in the brood cell into which nectar is regurgitated. Larvae are fed pollen in two ways, depending on the bumblebee species. So called "pocket-maker" bumblebees create pockets of pollen at the base of the brood cell clump from which the larvae can feed themselves. Conversely, "pollen-storer" store pollen in separate wax pots and feed it to the larva in the same fashion as nectar. ^[5] Bumble bees are incapable of trophallaxis. Trophallaxis is the transfer of food or other fluids among members of a Community through mouth-to-mouth ( stomodeal) or anus-to-mouth ( proctodeal) feeding

With proper care, the larvae progress through four instars, becoming successively larger with each molt. An instar is a developmental stage of Arthropods, such as Insects, between each moult ( ecdysis) until sexual maturity is reached At the end of the fourth instar the larvae spin a silk cocoon under the wax covering the brood cell, changing it into a pupal cell. The larvae then undergo an intense period of cellular growth and differentiation and become pupae. A pupa ( Latin pupa for doll pl pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some Insects undergoing transformation These pupae then develop into adult bees, who chew their way out of the silk cocoon. When adult bumble bees first emerge from their cocoons, the hairs on their body are not yet fully pigmented and are a greyish-white colour. The bees are referred to as "callow" during this time, and they will not leave the colony for at least 24 hours. The entire process from egg to adult bee can take as long as five weeks, depending on the species and the environmental conditions.

After the emergence of the first or second group of workers, workers take over the task of foraging and the queen spends most of her time laying eggs and caring for larvae. The colony grows progressively larger and at some point will begin to produce males and new queens. The point at which this occurs varies among species and is heavily dependant on resource availability and environmental factors. Unlike the workers of more advanced social insects, bumble bee workers are not physically reproductively sterile and are able to lay haploid eggs that develop into viable male bumble bees. Eusociality ( Greek eu: "good" + "social" is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification "Haplo" redirects here For the fictional character see The Death Gate Cycle. Only fertilized queens can lay diploid eggs that mature into workers and new queens. "Haplo" redirects here For the fictional character see The Death Gate Cycle.

Early in the colony cycle, the queen bumble bee compensates for potential reproductive competition from workers by suppressing their egg-laying by way of physical aggression and pheromonal signals. ^[6] Thus, the queen will usually be the mother of all of the first males laid. Workers eventually begin to lay males later in the season when the queen's ability to suppress their reproduction diminishes. ^[7] The reproductive competition between workers and the queen is one reason that bumble bees are considered "primitively eusocial". Competition can be defined as an interaction between Organisms or Species, in which the fitness of one is lowered by the presence of another Eusociality ( Greek eu: "good" + "social" is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification

New queens and males leave the colony after maturation. Males in particular are forcibly driven out by the workers. Away from the colony, the new queens and males live off nectar and pollen and spend the night on flowers or in holes. The queens are eventually mated (often more than once) and search a for suitable location for diapause. Diapause is a Physiological state of Dormancy with very specific triggering and releasing conditions

Foraging behavior

Bumblebee with a load of pollen

Bumblebees generally visit flowers exhibiting the bee pollination syndrome. Pollination syndromes are suites of traits of Flowers aimed at attracting a particular type of Pollinator (Faegri & van der Pijl 1979 Proctor et al They can visit patches of flowers up to 1-2 kilometres from their colony. ^[8] Bumblebees will also tend to visit the same patches of flowers every day, as long as nectar and pollen continue to be available. ^[9] While foraging, bumblebees can reach ground speeds of up to 15 m/s (54 km/h). ^[10]

When bumblebees arrive at a flower, they extract nectar using their long tongue ("glossa") and store it in their crop. A crop (or croup) is a thin-walled expanded portion of the Alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to Digestion that is found in many animals Many species of bumblebee also exhibit what is known as "nectar robbing": instead of inserting the mouthparts into the flower normally, these bees bite directly through the base of the corolla to extract nectar, avoiding pollen transfer. A petal (from Ancient Greek petalon "leaf" "thin plate" regarded as a highly modified leaf is one member or part of the corolla ^[11] These bees obtain pollen from other species of flowers that they "legitimately" visit.

Pollen is removed from flowers deliberately or incidentally by bumblebees. Incidental removal occurs when bumblebees come in contact with the anthers of a flower while collecting nectar. The stamen ( Plural stamina or stamens, from Latin stamen meaning "thread of the warp " is the male The bumblebee's body hairs receive a dusting of pollen from the anthers which is then groomed into the corbiculae ("pollen baskets"). Corbicula is a genus of Clams Best known is Corbicula fluminea which is an invasive species in many areas of the world Bumblebees are also capable of buzz pollination. Sonication or buzz pollination is a technique used by some bees to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers which makes Pollination more efficient

In at least a few species, once a bumblebee has visited a flower, it leaves a scent mark on the flower. This scent mark deters visitation of the flower by other bumblebees until the scent degrades. ^[12]. It has been shown that this scent mark is a general chemical bouquet that bumblebees leave behind in different locations (e. g. nest, neutral and food sites)^[13], and they learn to use this bouquet to identify both rewarding and unrewarding flowers^[14]. In addition, bumblebees rely on this chemical bouquet more when the flower has a high handling time (i. e. it takes a longer time for the bee to find the nectar)^[15].

Once they have collected nectar and pollen, bumblebees return to the nest and deposit the harvested nectar and pollen into brood cells, or into wax cells for storage. Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their Unlike honey bees, bumblebees only store a few days' worth of food and so are much more vulnerable to food shortages. However, because bumblebees are much more opportunistic feeders than honey bees, these shortages may have less profound effects. Nectar is stored essentially in the form it was collected, rather than being processed into honey as is done in honey bees; it is therefore very dilute and watery, and is rarely consumed by humans. Honey is a sweet and Viscous fluid produced by Honey bees (and some other species and derived from the nectar of Flowers According to the This article refers collectively to all true honey bees for the "common" domesticated honey bee see European honey bee Honey bees

"Cuckoo" bumblebees

Bumblebees of the subgenus Psithyrus (known as cuckoo bumblebees, and formerly considered a separate genus) are a lineage which has lost the ability to collect pollen, and live parasitically in the colonies of other bumblebees. Cuckoo bumblebees are members of the subgenus Psithyrus in the bumblebee genus Bombus. Cuckoo bumblebees are members of the subgenus Psithyrus in the bumblebee genus Bombus. Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species. Before finding and invading a host colony, a Psithyrus female (there is no caste system in these species) will feed directly from flowers. Once she has infiltrated a host colony, the Psithyrus female will kill or subdue the queen of that colony and forcibly (using pheromones and/or physical attacks) "enslave" the workers of that colony to feed her and her young. A pheromone (from Greek φέρω phero "to bear" + ‘ορμόνη " Hormone " is a Chemical that triggers a natural ^[16] The female Psithyrus also has a number of morphological adaptations, such as larger mandibles and a larger venom sac that increase her chances of taking over a nest. ^[17] Upon hatching, the male and female Psithyrus disperse and mate. Like non-parasitic bumblebee queens, female Psithyrus find suitable locations to spend the winter and enter diapause upon being mated.

Reproduction

In temperate zone species, in the autumn, young queens ("gynes") mate with males (drones) and diapause during the winter in a sheltered area, whether in the ground or in a man-made structure. Gyne is the primary reproductive female Caste of Social insects (especially Ants Wasps and Bees of order Hymenoptera) Drones are male Honey bees Male honey bees develop when the Queen bee lays unfertilized eggs Drone genetics Haplodiploid sex-determination Diapause is a Physiological state of Dormancy with very specific triggering and releasing conditions In the early spring, the queen comes out of diapause and finds a suitable place to create her colony, and then builds wax cells in which to lay her fertilized eggs from the previous winter. Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their The eggs that hatch develop into female workers, and in time the queen populates the colony, with workers feeding the young and performing other duties similar to honey bee workers. New reproductives are produced in autumn, and the queen and workers die, as do the males.

Sting

Queen and worker bumblebees can sting, but, like virtually all bees, the sting is not barbed (only honey bees have a barbed sting), so they can sting more than once. A bee sting strictly means a sting from a Bee ( Honey bee, Bumblebee, Sweat bee etc This article refers collectively to all true honey bees for the "common" domesticated honey bee see European honey bee Honey bees ^[18] Bumblebee species are non-aggressive, but will sting in defense of their nest, or if harmed. Female cuckoo bumblebees will aggressively attack host colony members, and sting the host queen, but will ignore other animals (including humans) unless disturbed. See Schmidt Sting Pain Index. The Schmidt Sting Pain Index or the Justin O Schmidt Pain Index is a Pain scale rating the relative pain caused by different Hymenopteran stings

Bumblebees and people

Bumblebees are important pollinators of both crops and wildflowers. A pollinator is the biotic agent ( vector) that moves Pollen from the male Anthers of a Flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish A wildflower (or wild flower) is a Flower that grows wild meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted

Agricultural use

Main article: List of plants pollinated by bees

Bumblebees are increasingly cultured for agricultural use as pollinators because they can pollinate plant species that other pollinators cannot by using a technique known as buzz pollination. Sonication or buzz pollination is a technique used by some bees to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers which makes Pollination more efficient For example, bumblebee colonies are often emplaced in greenhouse tomato production, because the frequency of buzzing that a bumblebee exhibits effectively releases tomato pollen. A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse or hothouse) is a building where plants are cultivated The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family ^[19]

The agricultural use of bumblebees is limited to pollination. Pollination in angiosperms and Gymnosperms is the process that transfers pollen grains, which contain the male Gametes (sperm to where the female Because bumblebees do not overwinter the entire colony, they are not obliged to stockpile honey, and are therefore not useful as honey producers.

Endangered status

Bumblebees are in danger in many developed countries due to habitat destruction and collateral pesticide damage. Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. In Britain, until relatively recently, 19 species of native true bumblebee were recognised along with six species of cuckoo bumblebees. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Of these, three have already become extinct,^[20][21] eight are in serious decline and only six remain widespread^[22]. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. The term Pollinator decline refers to the reduction in abundance of Pollinators in many Ecosystems worldwide during the end of the twentieth century A decline in bumblebee numbers could cause large-scale sweeping changes to the countryside, leading to inadequate pollination of certain plants.

In response to this, a new organisation has recently been set up - The Bumblebee Conservation Trust aims to halt these declines through conservation and education (see links). To conserve habitat life for wild species and prevent their Extinction or reduction in range is a priority of a great many groups that cannot be easily characterized in terms

Bumblebee myths

Flight

According to 20th century folklore, the laws of aerodynamics prove that the bumblebee should be incapable of flight, as it does not have the capacity (in terms of wing size or beat per second) to achieve flight with the degree of wing loading necessary. Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee or large earth bumblebee is one of the most numerous Bumblebee species in Europe History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the Air (or movement beyond Earth's atmosphere, in the case of In Aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing Not being aware of scientists 'proving' it cannot fly, the bumblebee succeeds under "the power of its own arrogance". ^[23] The origin of this myth has been difficult to pin down with any certainty. See also Mythology Myth is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos, which simply means 'story' John McMasters recounted an anecdote about an unnamed Swiss aerodynamicist at a dinner party who performed some rough calculations and concluded, presumably in jest, that according to the equations, bumblebees cannot fly. ^[24] In later years McMasters has backed away from this origin, suggesting that there could be multiple sources, and that the earliest he has found was a reference in the 1934 French book Le vol des insectes by M. Magnan. Magnan is reported to have written that he and a Mr. Saint-Lague had applied the equations of air resistance to insects and found that their flight was impossible, but that "One shouldn't be surprised that the results of the calculations don't square with reality". André Sainte-Laguë ( April 20, 1882 – January 18, 1950) was a French Mathematician who was a pioneer in the area of In Fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called fluid resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a Solid object through a Fluid (a ^[25]

It is believed that the calculations which purported to show that bumblebees cannot fly are based upon a simplified linear treatment of oscillating aerofoils. An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a Wing or blade (of a Propeller, rotor The method assumes small amplitude oscillations without flow separation. This ignores the effect of dynamic stall, an airflow separation inducing a large vortex above the wing, which briefly produces several times the lift of the aerofoil in regular flight. Dynamic stall is a non-linear unsteady aerodynamic effect that occurs when aerofoils rapidly change the angle of attack V erification of the O rigins of R otation in T ornadoes Ex periment or VORTEX, is a field project that seeks to understand how a More sophisticated aerodynamic analysis shows that the bumblebee can fly because its wings encounter dynamic stall in every oscillation cycle. Oscillation is the repetitive variation typically in Time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of Equilibrium) or between two or more different states ^[26]

Buzz

One common, yet incorrect, assumption is that the buzzing sound (listen (help·info)) of bees is caused by the beating of their wings. The sound is the result of the bee vibrating its flight muscles, and this can be done while the muscles are decoupled from the wings, a feature known in bees but not possessed by other insects. Muscle (from Latin musculus, diminutive of mus "mouse" is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the This is especially pronounced in bumblebees, as they must warm up their bodies considerably to get airborne at low ambient temperatures. ^[4] This is how bumblebees can sometimes reach an internal thoracic temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Selected species

For a complete list, see List of world bumblebee species. The list presented here is derived from a Checklist of world bumblebees (discussing status of species and used in the most recent Bombus Phylogeny.

• Bombus fraternus
• New Garden Bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum
• Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum
• Orange-belted bumblebee Bombus ternarius
• Buff-Tailed bumblebee, or Large Earth Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris

Associated parasites

• Tracheal mites - Locustacarus buchneri
• Protozoans- Crithidia bombi
• Microsporidia- Nosema bombi

In popular culture

• "Dumbledor" (or "dumbledore") is an old Devon name for the bumblebee. Bombus fraternus is a relatively uncommon species of Bumblebee native to the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Bombus hypnorum, or the New Garden Bumblebee is a species of Bumblebee. The Early Bumblebee ( Bombus pratorum) is black with a yellow band around the front of the Thorax and red colouration on abdominal segments 4 to 6 The orange-belted bumblebee ( Bombus ternarius) is a yellow orange and black Bumblebee that is commonly found throughout the United States and parts Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee or large earth bumblebee is one of the most numerous Bumblebee species in Europe Locustacarus buchneri is a Parasitic Mite that lives in the respiratory air sacs of Bumble bees. Protozoa (in Greek πρῶτον proton "first" and ζῷα zoia "animals" are unicellular Eukaryotes (singular Crithidia are members of the Trypanosome Protozoa. They are parasites that exclusively parasitise Arthropods mainly insects Microsporidia are parasites of animals now considered to be extremely reduced fungi. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name The bumblebee's buzzing sound is the quality for which they (as well as the cockchafer or scarab beetle) are given this name. Dor is applied in names like dorbeetle, dorbug, and dorfly, to refer to a humming or drone noise produced by the particular insect. ^[27] This name was picked by J.K. Rowling for her character Albus Dumbledore because she imagines him wandering around the castle humming to himself. Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965 who writes under the Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a setting in J K ^[28]
• In the north-east of Scotland bumblebees are known as 'foggy bummers'. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. ^[29]
• The Flight of the Bumblebee is a famous orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899-1900. "Flight of the Bumblebee" is a famous Orchestral Interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his Opera The Tale of Tsar An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov ( Николай Андреевич Римский-Корсаков, Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov) also Nikolay Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto The Tale of Tsar Saltan ( Сказка о царе Салтане, Skazka o Tsare Saltane) is an Opera in four acts with a prologue seven scenes
• The character Bumblebee Man from The Simpsons is a Mexican slapstick comedian who dresses in a bumblebee costume. The following are a list of fictional celebrities in the animated television show The Simpsons. He is based on El Chapulín Colorado, a famous Mexican comedy character who dresses in a red grasshopper costume. El Chapulín Colorado is a Television series, created and played by Roberto Gomez Bolaños also known as Chespirito, a successful Mexican comedian and Grasshoppers are Insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera.
• Buck Bumble was a Nintendo 64 game starring the titular Bee in battle against villainous bugs. Buck Bumble is an action Video game for the Nintendo 64 released by Ubisoft in 1998. The, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo 's third home Video game console for the international market

See also

• Apiology
• List of world bumblebee species
• Imidacloprid effects on bee population
• Regent (insecticide)
• Bees
• Characteristics of common wasps and bees

References

Further reading

• Michener, C.D. (2000). Charles Duncan Michener (born September 22, 1918) is an American entomologist born in Pasadena CA. The Bees of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• "Bees. " World Book Encyclopedia. 1998 ed.
• Hasley, William D. "Bees. " Collier's Encyclopedia. 1990 ed.
• Abbott, Carl, and Bartlett, John. "Bumble Bees. " Encarta Encyclopedia. 2004 ed.
• Freeman, Scott. Biological Science. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2002.
• Macdonald, M. & Nisbet, G. 2006. "Highland Bumblebees: Distribution, Ecology and Conservation. " HBRG, Inverness, www. hbrg. org. uk. ISBN 0-9552211-0-2.

External links

• Bumblebees of the world - find species by region, species groups, colour pattern
• Distribution and decline of British bumblebees
• The Bumblebee Conservation Trust
• Buglife's Big Bumblebee Hunt in Essex, London and North Kent - Summer 2007
• Bumble Bees - diagnostic photographs, Creative Commons
• The Bumblebee Pages - Comprehensive Site
• Record UK Red-tailed Bumblebee sightings here - Springwatch 2006
• Plight of Humble Bumblebee concerns - Farmnews 2008
• Bombus Identification Guide
• List of Species
• Worldwide Species Map

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