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Bombus pascuorum
The common carder bumblebee is the only common bumblebee to have a completely ginger thorax. Although the abdomen also tends to be gingery, it is more variable in colour, and can be greyish or red. The coat tends to be rather scruffy-looking and is short. This species has a fairly long tongue and males can be distinguished from females as they have longer antennae. Carder bumblebees earn this name from their habit of combing material together (carding) to create a covering for the cells containing the larvae. The scientific name pascuorum is derived from the Latin pascuum and means of the pastures. The workers feed the larvae on pollen and nectar which they gather on groups of hairs on the back legs, known as 'pollen baskets'. They gather nectar from long tube-like flowers, with white dead-nettle a firm favourite.
Spotted in a meadow of mount Chortiatis (altitude 1200m), Thessaloniki, Greece.
Spotted on Apr 26, 2015
Submitted on Apr 28, 2015
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