Half-black Bumble Bee (Bombus vagans) Smith, 1854 |
Synonyms: Bombus bolsteri, Bombus consimilis |
Bombus vagans is widely distributed in the boreal and temperate regions of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, including Newfoundland and the Appalachians. This bumble bee inhabits forest edges, woodlands, prairies, wetlands, parks, etc. Nests are found in abandoned rodent burrows, but also in hollow trees, tufts of grass, etc. A small bumble bee (length 8-19 mm). Head, thorax and the first two segments of abdomen are yellow; the rest is black. Colonies consist of a queen, few males, and up to 70 workers. Active from May through early autumn. B. vagans collects pollen and nectar of a variety of plants (Asclepiadaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, etc.).