Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Bombus bimaculatus
This record describes Bombus bimaculatus (species). Recorded family: Apidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
see detailed description of queen and male at discoverlife.org ; worker is very similar to queen but smaller. In female the yellow of second abdominal tergum (T2) extends in a deep U nearly to the apex of the segment medially but the lateral portions of T2 are very largely red. Thus the yellow is very extensive medially but not laterally. In griseocollis the yellowish-brown of T2 forms a shallow U which does not extend far posteriorly in the middle but is relatively more extensive laterally thus appearing more as a transverse band than as a medial strip of yellow. The female vertex is extensively yellow, more so than in impatiens , and unlike griseocollis which has entirely black vertex hairs. The female scutum has a conspicuous circular black spot. The malar space of both sexes is notably long as in vagans , much longer than in impatiens , and very much longer than in griseocollis . Structure is useful to check as the yellow T2 hairs of female bimaculatus can be inconpicuous, and impatiens can have some yellow hairs on T2 basally. The hue of yellow is more lemony than in impatiens or griseocollis . Males are highly variable. Most can be recognized by their long face in combination with black corners of T2 but in many this is reduced to mere spots and in some to a few black hairs only so that T2 appears mostly yellow. In the more yellow males a yellow T1-T2 is followed by a narrow, contrasting black hair band on T3.
Wikipedia reference for Bombus bimaculatus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-spotted_bumble_bee.
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
Eastern North America: Ontario to Maine, south to Florida, west to Mississippi Discover Life Global Map
Seasonal Activity
March to September; as early as February in Florida
Diet and Behavior
Diet: This species has a long tongue for its subgenus so can extract nectar from long floral tubes such as those of mints (Lamiaceae). The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Bombus bimaculatus Cresson 1863 The specific epithet and common name is often currently used to refer to the two distinctive yellow markings on the second abdominal tergite, although the original species description by Cresson referred to the two black spots on the sides of the tergite.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Bombus bimaculatus. 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 Two-spotted Bumble Bee (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Lynette Elliott; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Robin McLeod , Bbarnd , Mike Quinn , John S. Ascher , hg , bdagley
Frequently Asked Questions About Two-spotted Bumble Bee
What is Two-spotted Bumble Bee?
Two-spotted Bumble Bee (Bombus bimaculatus) is a species in the family Apidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How big is Two-spotted Bumble Bee?
Queen: body length 17-22 mm. Worker: 11-16 mm. Male: 13-14.5 mm. Relatively small.
How do you identify Two-spotted Bumble Bee?
see detailed description of queen and male at discoverlife.org ; worker is very similar to queen but smaller. In female the yellow of second abdominal tergum (T2) extends in a deep U nearly to the apex of the segment medially but the lateral portions of T2 are very largely red. Thus the yellow is very extensive medially but not laterally. In griseocollis the yellowish-brown of T2 forms a shallow U which does not extend far posteriorly in the middle but is relatively more extensive laterally thus appearing more as a transverse band than as a medial strip of yellow. The female vertex is extensively yellow, more so than in impatiens , and unlike griseocollis which has entirely black vertex hairs. The female scutum has a conspicuous circular black spot. The malar space of both sexes is notably long as in vagans , much longer than in impatiens , and very much longer than in griseocollis . Structure is useful to check as the yellow T2 hairs of female bimaculatus can be inconpicuous, and impatiens can have some yellow hairs on T2 basally. The hue of yellow is more lemony than in impatiens or griseocollis . Males are highly variable. Most can be recognized by their long face in combination with black corners of T2 but in many this is reduced to mere spots and in some to a few black hairs only so that T2 appears mostly yellow. In the more yellow males a yellow T1-T2 is followed by a narrow, contrasting black hair band on T3.
Where is Two-spotted Bumble Bee found?
Range: Eastern North America: Ontario to Maine, south to Florida, west to Mississippi Discover Life Global Map
What does Two-spotted Bumble Bee eat?
The diet of the Two-spotted Bumble Bee includes This species has a long tongue for its subgenus so can extract nectar from long floral tubes such as those of mints (Lamiaceae). The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images..
When is Two-spotted Bumble Bee active?
Two-spotted Bumble Bee: seasonal activity - March to September; as early as February in Florida.