American Bumble Bee, Bombus pensylvanicus
Excerpted from Bumble Bees of Wisconsin
This lovely bee can be found throughout the US East, and is a rather handsome specimen! Their super
dark wings and short, even hair gives them a more formal appearance.
Hair length short and even. Thorax with yellow band(s), typically anterior. First abdominal segment
often yellow in middle. Second and third abdominal segments entirely yellow, with remainder of tail
black. Dark wings. Hair on top of the head always black. Males typically with an entirely yellow
abdomen. Queens are typically large, similar in size to B. auricomus.
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Queen length: 21-25 mm
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Female Worker length: 14-18 mm
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Drone length: 16-22 mm
Queens emerge late, and colonies last well into August. Peak worker numbers in late July, with new
queens and drones present from late July to September.
Throughout Wisconsin, but typically associated with more open habitats south of the North woods.
Current records of this species in Wisconsin are rare.
Vetches
Goldenrod
Clover
Buzz Pollination
Slo-Mo Footage of a Bumble Bee Dislodging Pollen
Look Inside a Bumblebee Nest
How to Build a Bumble Bee House
Development of Colony and Nest in the Bumblebee