Subject: Giant Bee!
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
May 3, 2013 1:49 pm
This giant bee flew into my office not once, but twice! Early May, Toronto, ON Canada.
Very aggressive, about 2” long, maybe 0.5” thick. Was trying to sting the windowsill, left venom where it had stung the metal windowsill. Once caught in a cardboard box it could be heard and felt stinging the box…!
Signature: Best, Claire

Queen Bumblebee

Dear Claire,
Based on the behavior and size you described of the insect in this instagram image (not ideal for species identifications), we deduce this is a female Bumblebee recently emerged from Hibernation.  She is a aggressive because she wants to build her hive in some abandoned underground mouse burrow or bird house.

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Subject: European Bumblebee
Location: Belgrade, Serbia
May 23, 2012 3:26 pm
Dear Bugman,
I am trying to distinguish this bee: Is it a white-tailed bumblebee or a buff-tailed bumblebee? I photographed it in my driveway last weekend in Belgrade, Serbia.
Thank you!
Signature: Bill Kralovec

Bumble Bee from Serbia

Dear Bill,
Thanks for sending in your request.  Bumblebee.org indicates:  “The queens Bombus terrestris and B. lucorum are usually the first to emerge in the spring. B. terrestris queens are the largest bumblebees we have in the UK. It is fairly easy to differentiate between B. terrestris and B. lucorum queens -  the yellow thorax hairs of terrestris are more dull orangey while those of lucorum are more lemony [.]  B. terrestris has a brownish orange tip to her abdomen while B. lucorum’s is white – hence the common names.”  Bumblebee.org also indicates:  “The workers of both species look like smaller versions of the lucorum queen. See the worker on the left. They are almost impossible to tell apart without dissection. The size range can vary quite a lot, but usually the smaller workers are from the earliest laid eggs. Bombus lucorum workers range from 0.04 – 0.32 g and the queens from 0.46 – 0.70 g; B. terrestris workers range from 0.05 g – 0.40 g.”  Our guess is that this is a queen White-Tailed Bumble Bee.  We are basing that on the information provided on the website we cited.  The early emergence and large size would indicate the bee is a queen.  Though many internet references use a single word Bumblebee, we are following the naming convention used on BugGuide.

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Tricolored Bumble Bee
Location: Mancos, CO (Southwestern Colorado)
May 4, 2012 4:11 pm
Bugman,
I have the great fortune of having an apple tree in full bloom here at my home. There are many species of bees buzzing about, but this one especially caught my eye. I thought that I would submit my picture of what I think is a tricolored bumble bee to you.
Signature: Jessica of Mancos, CO

Bumble Bee

Hi Jessica,
Thanks for sending us your beautiful photograph.  While the coloration on this Bumble Bee resembles that of the TriColored Bumble Bee, Bombus ternarius, we have our doubts that the identification is correct.  You are not in the range that is documented on BugGuide, and BugGuide also states that the range is:  “Yukon to Nova Scotia, south to Georgia; widespread in the United States but rarely observed south of Pennsylvania.”  There are other similarly colored Bumble Bees, including Hunt’s Bumble Bee, Bombus huntii, which is documented from Colorado.  According to BugGuide, it has:  “Yellow hairs on face.”  Sadly, your photograph does not show the face.  Bombus sylvicola is also documented in Colorado according to BugGuide.  We also could not rule out the Red-Belted Bumble Bee, Bombus rufocinctus, which is also pictured on BugGuide.

After further investigation, it seems that my initial identification was incorrect.  It is indeed a Hunt’s Bumble Bee – I went back through the photos I had taken of (him? her?) and found a picture that shows a fuzzy ridge of yellow hairs on the crown of its head.  Thank you for your response, and please see the photo attached showing the facial hairs.

Hunt's Bumble Bee

Hi Jessica,
Thank you for the follow-up and additional photo.

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Sonoran Bumble?
Location: Hawthorne, CA
October 1, 2011 2:02 pm
Hi,
We have a lot of bumble bees in the yard this time of year. This particular bee looks like a Sonoran, but it’s stripes aren’t as yellow as others. Is it a Sonoran or some other type of bumble bee. Is it maybe a female Sonoran?
Signature: Thanks, Anna Carreon

Sonoran Bumble Bee

Hi Anna,
Though the photo you sent us in July shows the distinguishing thin black band across the thorax more distinctly than these current photos, we agree that this is a Sonoran Bumble Bee, Bombus sonorus.  The pale coloration might be an individual variation, or this might be an older and more faded bee.

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