Red-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus rufocinctus
This record describes Bombus rufocinctus (species). Recorded family: Apidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Those with red on the metasoma are often confused with various Pyrobombus whereas those without can be confused with Bombus bimaculatus and various other species, but in rufocinctus the malar space is exceptionally short. In females with red on the metasoma the red is on the apicolateral corners of T2 and on T3 and T4, with T1 and most of T2 yellow, whereas in species such as ternarius and huntii T2-T3 are entirely red and T4 is yellow. Bombus centralis can be confusing in that its metasoma is yellow basally and red apically, but in that species T2 is entirely yellow and the facial hairs are all yellow (also usually true of huntii and bifarius but not ternarius, sylvicola, or rufocinctus). The dorsum of the scutum has black as in other species, but this is often a rather diffuse blotch as opposed to a narrow, well-defined interalar band (as in huntii) or clearly extending to form a notch in the scutellum posteriorly (as in bifarius and to a lesser degree ternarius). However, rufocinctus females can have a complete, broad interalar band. The female castes can differ in color of facial hairs as this is often yellow in queens but mostly black in workers. Males have large eyes and are relatively small. Those with red on T3-T4 are distinctive but those without can be confused with griseocollis (not black corners on T2 in most of those) and nevadensis (note yellow on T3 in that species). Antennal proportions are quite helpful. The eyes are less closely approximated above than in nevadensis. see detailed description of queen, worker, male at discoverlife.org page creation based on John S. Ascher's identification of this image
Wikipedia reference for Bombus rufocinctus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_rufocinctus.
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
Habitat
Typical open sites, especially prairies, but also mountain meadows and sometimes unusual places such as quarries or pine barrens. Not generally distributed and seems to avoid cities.
Geographic Range
Transcontinental. Best known at northern sites and in the western mountains. Very local in occurrence in the northeastern United States but locally numerous at some sites, such as near Albany, New York. Some surprising, disjunct records are known from New York and also New Jersey (J. S. Ascher, unpublished).
Seasonal Activity
May to October (BG data)
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: Bombus rufocinctus Cresson 1863 Common name refers to the reddish band across the abdomen.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Bombus rufocinctus. 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 Red-belted Bumble Bee (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Beatriz Moisset; Additional contributions by Robin McLeod , Mike Quinn , John S. Ascher , hg
Frequently Asked Questions About Red-belted Bumble Bee
What is Red-belted Bumble Bee?
Red-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus rufocinctus) is a species in the family Apidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How big is Red-belted Bumble Bee?
queen: body length 16-18 mm male: 12-13 worker: 11-12.5. Workers are often notably small.
How do you identify Red-belted Bumble Bee?
Those with red on the metasoma are often confused with various Pyrobombus whereas those without can be confused with Bombus bimaculatus and various other species, but in rufocinctus the malar space is exceptionally short. In females with red on the metasoma the red is on the apicolateral corners of T2 and on T3 and T4, with T1 and most of T2 yellow, whereas in species such as ternarius and huntii T2-T3 are entirely red and T4 is yellow. Bombus centralis can be confusing in that its metasoma is yellow basally and red apically, but in that species T2 is entirely yellow and the facial hairs are all yellow (also usually true of huntii and bifarius but not ternarius, sylvicola, or rufocinctus). The dorsum of the scutum has black as in other species, but this is often a rather diffuse blotch as opposed to a narrow, well-defined interalar band (as in huntii) or clearly extending to form a notch in the scutellum posteriorly (as in bifarius and to a lesser degree ternarius). However, rufocinctus females can have a complete, broad interalar band. The female castes can differ in color of facial hairs as this is often yellow in queens but mostly black in workers. Males have large eyes and are relatively small. Those with red on T3-T4 are distinctive but those without can be confused with griseocollis (not black corners on T2 in most of those) and nevadensis (note yellow on T3 in that species). Antennal proportions are quite helpful. The eyes are less closely approximated above than in nevadensis. see detailed description of queen, worker, male at discoverlife.org
Where is Red-belted Bumble Bee found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Typical open sites, especially prairies, but also mountain meadows and sometimes unusual places such as quarries or pine barrens. Not generally distributed and seems to avoid cities. |
| Range | Transcontinental. Best known at northern sites and in the western mountains. Very local in occurrence in the northeastern United States but locally numerous at some sites, such as near Albany, New York. Some surprising, disjunct records are known from New York and also New Jersey (J. S. Ascher, unpublished). |
What does Red-belted Bumble Bee eat?
The diet of the Red-belted Bumble Bee includes The Hosts section of its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images..
When is Red-belted Bumble Bee active?
Red-belted Bumble Bee: seasonal activity - May to October (BG data).