At a glance
Essentials
- Size
- In the United Kingdom, queens can reach up to 22 mm in length. The range may vary with age, sex and population.
- Distribution
- Its natural range includes Europe, North Africa and the Near East. It has become established as a non-native species in Tasmania, Argentina, Japan and Chile; these are documented examples, not an exhaustive list.
- Habitat
- Nests underground, usually in old burrows made by small mammals. Active winter colonies have also been documented in urban areas of the southern United Kingdom.
- Activity
- The life cycle is usually annual. In the United Kingdom, queens usually emerge from February to April, the first workers from March, and males between July and October; some cities in the southern United Kingdom have active colonies in winter.
- Diet
- Collects nectar and pollen from a wide variety of flowers; it sometimes reaches nectar in deep-corolla flowers by making an incision at the base of the corolla.
Observation guide
What to look for
- 01
Black hairs cover the body, with bands of yellow hairs on the pronotum and the second dorsal abdominal segment.
- 02
Pale tip of the abdomen, with hairs ranging from white to beige; large workers may also have a narrow brown band next to this area.
- 03
In queens and males, the yellow hairs are more golden, and those at the tip of the abdomen tend to be beige, in contrast to the white hairs of closely related species.
- 04
Workers closely resemble those of Bombus lucorum, B. magnus and B. cryptarum, so visible patterning alone may not distinguish these species.
Lighting, age and viewing angle can hide features. If identification affects consumption, handling or conservation, consult specialist sources.
Ecology
Description and characteristics
Bombus terrestris is a large bumblebee with a body covered in hairs that are black. It has bands of yellow hairs on the pronotum and the second dorsal abdominal segment, and white or beige hairs on the terminal abdominal segments. Large workers may occasionally have a narrow band of brown hairs next to the pale terminal area. Queens and males can be distinguished from closely related species in the Bombus lucorum group by their larger size, the more golden tone of their yellow hairs, and the beige, rather than white, hairs at the tip of the abdomen. Workers, however, closely resemble those of B. lucorum, B. magnus and B. cryptarum, so these traits are not enough to ensure an unequivocal identification of a worker from an image.
This is a eusocial species: its colonies include a reproductive queen, males and non-reproductive workers, and may reach around 500 workers at their peak. It builds its nest underground, usually in old burrows made by small mammals. It is a generalist forager and visits a wide variety of flowers to collect nectar and pollen. At flowers with deep corollas, it can reach the nectar by making an incision at the base of the corolla rather than entering through the main opening. Workers differ in the tasks they perform, although their particular roles are not detailed here.
The life cycle is usually annual: queens that have overwintered emerge and establish new colonies, from which workers appear, followed later by males. In the United Kingdom, queens usually emerge between February and April, the first workers from March, and males between July and October; these dates apply to that region and should not be extrapolated to the entire range. Active colonies have also been observed during winter in cities in the southern United Kingdom. This pattern has been linked, among other possible factors, to higher winter temperatures, the urban heat-island effect and the availability of winter flowers.