Bombus bohemicus is a species of cuckoo bumblebee, that can be found in most of Europe with exception of the southern Iberian Peninsula and Iceland.^[1]

Description

A fairly small bumblebee (the length of the queen is around 18 millimetres (0.71 in)) with a round face and a short proboscis (tongue). The male is quite smaller than the queen. The bumblebee has a pale yellow collar, often yellow hairs on the first tergite (abdominal segment), pale yellow sides on the third tergite and a white tail on an otherwise almost black abdomen. Males in northern Scotland sometimes have yellow tails instead of white.^[2]

Ecology

The species is a cuckoo bumblebee, having Bombus lucorum as a host, killing or subduing its queen and taking over its nest.^[3]

Bombus bohemicus feeds on various flowering plants, as, among others, tyme, scabious, marsh and thistles for the male, sallow, dandelion, clover, bilberry and raspberry for the female.^[2]

Distribution

The bumblebee is distributed through most of Europe from beyond the Arctic Circle to northern Spain, and from the British Isles in the west to eastern Russia. It is also found in Turkey.^[1] In Britain it is common in the south-western peninsula, northern England, and Scotland. In the south-eastern part, however, it is rare (with exception of the East Anglian brecks).^[2]

References