Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee
Bombus bifarius
This record describes Bombus bifarius (species). Recorded family: Apidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
In both sexes the most distinctive feature is the medial notch of black hairs bisecting the scutellum more conspicuous than in other species (approached but not matched in ternarius and sylvicola). Facial hairs of female extensively yellow (vs. largely black in B. sylvicola). Color of T2-T3 highly variable in this species sensu lato, but black (nearcticus form) mixed individuals mostly belong to what is now considered a spearate species, B. vancouverensis. In the narrow sense, B. bifarius usually has T2-T3 mostly or entirely red An abundant and widely distributed species.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Trigonaloidea
- Family
- Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)
- Subfamily
- Apinae
- Tribe
- Bombini
- Genus
- Bombus (Bumble Bees)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Rocky Mountains of Colorado and nearby states including Wyoming amd Utah. This species as traditionally recognized occurs very widely in Western North America, but all records from Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific States and others in the far west such as Idaho pertain to what is now considered a separate species, B. vancouverensis.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: A generalist favoring open flowers such as composites. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Author: Cresson, 1878. Common name proposed here refers to the black notch bisecting the scutellum.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Bombus bifarius. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee (4)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban , Beatriz Moisset , John S. Ascher , Nathaniel Green
Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee
What is Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee?
Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee (Bombus bifarius) is a species in the family Apidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How big is Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee?
Relatively small
How do you identify Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee?
In both sexes the most distinctive feature is the medial notch of black hairs bisecting the scutellum more conspicuous than in other species (approached but not matched in ternarius and sylvicola). Facial hairs of female extensively yellow (vs. largely black in B. sylvicola). Color of T2-T3 highly variable in this species sensu lato, but black (nearcticus form) mixed individuals mostly belong to what is now considered a spearate species, B. vancouverensis. In the narrow sense, B. bifarius usually has T2-T3 mostly or entirely red
Where is Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee found?
Range: Rocky Mountains of Colorado and nearby states including Wyoming amd Utah. This species as traditionally recognized occurs very widely in Western North America, but all records from Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific States and others in the far west such as Idaho pertain to what is now considered a separate species, B. vancouverensis.
What does Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee eat?
The diet of the Colorado Black-notched Bumble Bee includes A generalist favoring open flowers such as composites. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images..