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Mountain Bumble Bee

Bombus ephippiatus

Description:

This species is a Pine-Oak Mountain Bumble Bee, found from central Mexico through Central America. It is a large Bumble Bee, just over 2 cm with very long hair. The top of the thorax is all black, no stripes. There are bright yellow patches on the sides of the thorax and the upper abdomen. This species is very beautiful, with golden orange hair along the sides of the yellow on the abdomen and dark wings. New queens often come into the house in the fall to hibernate.

Habitat:

This one was in decline on the ground at night and may have been too cold. I brought her into the house but she didn't survive.

Notes:

Like all Bumble Bees, this is an important pollinator of mountain flowers, trees and shrubs, as well as cultivated plants. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/FIGU... http://www.pollinationecology.org/index.... https://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Insec... https://www.naturalista.mx/taxa/309377-B... http://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxb... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_eph... https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:... http://www.bumblebee.org/lifecycle.htm https://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bee-life-c... https://texasinsects.tamu.edu/hymenopter...

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1 Comment

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 4 years ago

Sad she didn't survive. Wonderful spotting, Lauren. And excellent notes and photos, as always.

LaurenZarate
Spotted by
LaurenZarate

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

Spotted on Jul 15, 2019
Submitted on Jul 18, 2019

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