Bumblebees for ID

tigger · #1 (**permalink**) 05-09-2009, 07:51 PM

Could you please help me with the ID's of these please. Thanks Jane

1 Bombus pascuorum? (or could it be B. humilis?) Have just noticed the very hairy legs...

2. Bombus sp (?)

3. B. pascuorum (front) & B. terrestris (back)?

tigger · #2 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 06:19 AM

I'm hoping someone can help me with my three bumbles.... . Lots of people looking but no one commenting. Help!

JRsbugs · #3 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 12:41 PM

Difficult to say with some of them as not enough is showing.

#1 probably B. pascuorum, you wouldn't get a definite ID on B. humilis anyway without a specimen.

#2 looks like a cuckoo rather than a male of other Bombus species. Could be a worn male B. rupestris but not certain. The shape reminds me more of B. campestris.

Last pic, front one likely B. pascuorum, they seem to hang around for a long time into the autumn. The other one has yellow on the bottom of the thorax which wouldn't suggest B. terrestris. The face looks too short for B. hortorum (which I haven't seen for some time), the tail could be a buff colour or faded yellow but can't really see for sure. B. campestris is a possibilty, one I have had but haven't seen any lately.

Janet

tigger · #4 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 04:47 PM

Hi Janet.

Knew I could rely on you! Thanks for your input.

Here are a few more pics of the above bumbles... which might help with ID.

#2 Although this pic makes the pale colour on the thorax almost pale brown, it might show the face better

#3 I agree I'm pretty sure the front one is B. pascuorum (loads in the garden at the moment). Here are a couple more pictures of the one at the back... taken before he joined his B. pascuorum friend...

I hope these help. Jane

eucera · #5 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 05:36 PM

I think #2 is a complete ruin of a male B. lapidarius. Really not sure about #3.

JRsbugs · #6 (**permalink**) 06-09-2009, 08:44 PM

I agree with B. lapidarius male now I can see the face.

The last one reminds me of Bombus sylvestris, it has a curved tail and it does look a lot like that but the tail needs to be seen. The shaggy yellow band at thorax top looks more like the B. sylvestris I had. Yours look to be quite fresh with a good yellow colouring, I wonder if there should be such fresh ones around now.

tigger · #7 (**permalink**) 07-09-2009, 04:17 PM

Thank you Janet and Stuart. Unfortunately I don't have any further images of #3... so I will have to put it down as a "don't know for sure..."

I'm beginning to understand why it's so hard to ID bumblebees late in the year... they look so different from the books.

Thanks again for your help. I think I'm gradually learning... but it's a slow process!

Jane