Bombus auricomus

Bombus auricomus

Bombus auricomus (the black and gold bumble bee)

Bombus auricomus. Macoupin County, Illinois, 8 August.

Status in Illinois

Uncommon.

Technical description

Queen:
Worker:
Male:

Diagnosis

Habits

Frison (1917) noted that B. auricomus is unique among Bombus species in that the queen lays each egg into a separate egg cell, rather than laying batches of eggs into a single wax-pollen mass as is usual for the genus. Colony size is small, with only about 35 workers. The species is not a common bumble bee in Illinois.

Flight periods

Queens: . Workers: . Males: .

Main flower preferences

Return to Bombus