How many types of bumblebee are there in the UK?

24 different species
There are 24 different species of bumblebee in the UK (25 if you include the reintroduced Short-haired bumblebee). Sadly, our bumblebees are in decline due to habitat loss, and two species have been driven to extinction here since 1940. However you can easily learn to identify some of the most common bumblebee species.

What is the most common bumblebee in the UK?

Red-tailed bumblebees are one of the UK’s most widespread bee species.

How do I identify a bumble bee?

Bumble bees have stout, hairy, robust bodies – usually with black, yellow, and/or red coloration. Bumble bees are variable in size and color patterns, even within a single species, which can make identification challenging.

Are bumble bees native to the UK?

Bumblebee species There are about 19 different species of bumblebee (and six species of cuckoo bumblebees) found in the UK, 68 in Europe, 124 species in China, 24 in South America, and around 300 in the world.

What bee has a white bum?

white-tailed bumblebee
The white-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum agg) unsurprisingly has a white bum. emerging, large bees. With white tails and more lemony yellow bands on the thorax, it is another common garden bumblebee and one that you will find feeding on your garden plants.

Which is the largest bumblebee?

B. dahlbomii
B. dahlbomii is, in fact, the world’s largest bumblebee. Native to the Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile, the queens of the species can reach an amazing four centimeters in length. That’s two to three times the size of one of the most recognizable North American species, the American bumblebee (B.

What’s the difference between a bumblebee and a honey bee?

The bumblebee has a larger and more rounded hairy body than the honey bee. It too varies in colour, but usually has a dark body with yellow or orange bands. The tail of the bumblebee may be black, white or red. Bumblebees live in much smaller colonies than honey bees.

What is the difference between bumblebees and carpenter bees?

Bumblebees have hairy abdomens with yellow markings whereas carpenter bees have bare and shiny abdomens. Their flying patterns also vary, as bumblebees fly in a straighter line than the carpenter bee. Carpenter bee flight patterns look as though they are darting and diving through the air and chasing one another.

Do bumble bees have a white bum?

The great thing about Queen bumblebees is that they are the easier caste to identify. Have a good look at their bottoms. The white-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum agg) unsurprisingly has a white bum.

How can you tell if a bee is a male or female?

If you see a shiny flattish looking segment on the back legs (called a pollen basket) or a big clump of pollen on a this area then it is a female bee because male bees do not collect pollen. Male bees are often fluffier looking with slightly longer antennae.

Where can I find bumblebees in the UK?

Below are illustrations of all the bumblebee species you will find in the UK, with distribution maps to show where you might find them. Click on the illustrations to find out more about each bumblebee species and their distinguishing features.

What are the different types of bumblebees?

Bumblebees 1 Tree bumblebee ( Bombus hypnorum) 2 Red-tailed bumblebee 3 White-tailed bumblebee 4 Common carder bee More

How many species of bees are there in the UK?

You might be surprised to learn there are more than 250 species of bee in the UK. Bumblebees, mason bees, mining bees – these are just one small part of a big, beautiful family.

What kind of bumblebee has a white tail?

Bumblebees fall into three rough groups based on tail colour: white-tailed (includes off-white to yellow), red-tailed, and ‘uniform-tailed’ bees, where the tail is the same colour as the rest of the abdomen (usually ginger).