Buff-tailed bumblebee

Description

The buff-tailed bumblebee is one of the largest and commonest bumblebees in Europe, a hymenopteran of the family Apidae. It has a black, stocky body covered with dense hair, with two yellow bands and the characteristic buff or whitish tip to the abdomen, which gives it its name. The queen is larger than the workers and has a long proboscis to reach the nectar of flowers.

Habitat and distribution

It is very widespread across much of Europe, but has also been introduced to other parts of the world for pollination. It frequents meadows, gardens, countryside and any flowery habitat, from the lowlands to the mountains. It nests underground, often in the abandoned burrows of small mammals.

Colony life

It is a eusocial insect: it forms annual colonies with division of labour. In spring the young queen, among the first to appear, founds the nest alone; workers then hatch to gather food and care for the brood. Late in the season new queens and males appear, and only the mated queens survive the winter in hibernation.

Role as a pollinator

It is one of the most valuable pollinators: the workers learn to recognise flower colours and forage very efficiently. For this reason it is bred commercially and used to pollinate greenhouse crops, such as tomatoes, thanks to its "buzz pollination".

Did you know?

The buff-tailed bumblebee is among the first insects to appear in late winter. Its commercial spread, however, raises ecological concerns when it is introduced outside its natural range.