Morrison's Bumble Bee
Bombus morrisoni
This record describes Bombus morrisoni (species). Recorded family: Apidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Resembles B. nevadensis but in morrisoni the coat is a brighter more golden (less brown) hue, the vertex has more extensive yellow hairs, and the scutum is uniformly covered in yellow hairs without a conspicuous medial spot. The eyes of morrisoni are enlarged but less so than in nevadensis. Also resembles its relative B. griseocollis, but yellow tergal hairs extend to T3. **Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ** Commonly found in the past at the Southwestern Research Station in SE Arizona, but not present in recent years
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
Western North America, especially the Great Basin region and Southwestern mountains and canyons
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The Hosts section of its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Honors Herbert Knowled Morrison (1854-1885) who made pioneering entomological expeditions to the mountains of the Western United States in the 1870s and early 1880s. His bumble bees were studied and described by Ezra T. Cresson. He was among the first to collect bees in what are now the southwestern states.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Bombus morrisoni. 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 Morrison's Bumble Bee (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Ken Schneider; Additional contributions by John S. Ascher , hg , Nathaniel Green
Frequently Asked Questions About Morrison's Bumble Bee
What is Morrison's Bumble Bee?
Morrison's Bumble Bee (Bombus morrisoni) is a species in the family Apidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How do you identify Morrison's Bumble Bee?
Resembles B. nevadensis but in morrisoni the coat is a brighter more golden (less brown) hue, the vertex has more extensive yellow hairs, and the scutum is uniformly covered in yellow hairs without a conspicuous medial spot. The eyes of morrisoni are enlarged but less so than in nevadensis. Also resembles its relative B. griseocollis, but yellow tergal hairs extend to T3.
Where is Morrison's Bumble Bee found?
Range: Western North America, especially the Great Basin region and Southwestern mountains and canyons
What does Morrison's Bumble Bee eat?
The diet of the Morrison's Bumble Bee includes The Hosts section of its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images..