The queen is about 1 1/8 inches long. The male is 3/4 to 1 inch and the worker is about 5/8 inch long. The queen has a black head and face with elongate eyes. There are 2 yellow bands across the thorax. The anterior part of the queen’s abdomen is yellow. The male usually has only one yellow band. The legs are black.
The frequency of occurrence in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods is not known, but it is probably uncommon. A queen was photographed outside the wetlands center at Fontenelle Forest in early June 2013. This bee was sleeping on Curly Dock flowers on a cool, rainy day.
This species is distinctive among Bombus species for having very short hair. On the abdomen, from the 2nd segment to the end, the hair lays flat. This is a short-tongued bee. Its preferred nectar sources are asters, bee balm, nightshades, sumacs and thistles.
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