Black bumblebee?

[asheleaf]

I'm getting a lot of all-black bumbles in the garden this spring. They've been around for a few weeks with sightings gradually increasing. Black hairy pronotum. Body also black but with bands of short black hairs visible on close up. Pollen pockets clearly visible on most of them. (Sorry I've not managed to get a decent photo yet.)

Thanks in advance, Ashe

[Kymba]

Could it be "The all-black Bombus Harrisellus" which is very rare.

[eucera]

My money would be on females of Anthophora plumipes. Check out the BWARS website Gallery at BWARS Home Page and see what you think. These are very plentiful at the moment across much of southern England, and they LOVE Pulmonaria flowers

"Bombus harrisellus" refers to the all-black colour form of Bombus ruderatus. As Ashleaf says, this is not commonly recorded. B. ruderatus does tend to melanism though... but the species itself is not easy to find anywhere

[Toby]

could it be Anthophora plumipes which I photographed last year:

[eucera]

Yes... it certainly is a female A. plumipes

[asheleaf]

Originally Posted by eucera

Yes... it certainly is a female A. plumipes

Thanks eucera and everyone else, I knew your'd enlighten me. I've been planting out more bee-friendly flowers and have included pulmonaria so hopefully they'll keep coming.

many thanks, Ashe

[Thehedgehog]

can anyone tell me what these are

it is only about the size of a blue bottle

they look similar to Anthophora plumipes but I am not sure and have never seen them in my garden before. I get lots of "normal" bumblebees

[JRsbugs]

Hi Thehedgehog, yes they are female Anthophora plumipes, I have yet to see my females. They are attracted to Pulmonaria which is only just coming into flower but last year I saw them on Pieris. They also feed on Dead-nettle flowers and a few others such as rhododendron, Weigela and Symphytum.

Janet

[Geoff F]

Just had a reread of this post to check out a small black bee which I photographed today. Thought it was probably Anthophora plumipes but wasn't completely certain.

Identical to Toby's image. My first reasonably successful photo of this quick flying little bee. Feeding on Rosemary and Primroses in my garden. They zip around so fast that by the time I had focused it had moved on to the next flower; and it kept one step ahead of me every time. Plenty of blurred images but only one keeper.

[JRsbugs]

I saw my first female of the year today too, I heard it buzz past me onto the Pieris flowers. It went underneath and low down so by the time I had bent my knees it was off again! Yes they do zip around like lightening, I'm trying to take pics of bees in manual but I think for these quick ones I need auto!