# Black-and-gold Bumble Bee (*Bombus auricomus*) The Black-and-gold Bumble Bee is a fuzzy insect that loves to visit flowers! They help plants grow by spreading pollen while they collect nectar to eat. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 13 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Gold-banded Bumble Bee ![Black-and-gold Bumble Bee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bombus_auricomus_f.jpg&width=800) Photo: USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombus_auricomus_f.jpg) ## Appearance The Black-and-gold Bumble Bee is a large, fuzzy insect with a distinctive pattern of black and deep golden-yellow bands. Its head is mostly black, followed by a wide golden-yellow band on its thorax. The abdomen is primarily black, often with a final segment of golden-yellow. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Apidae - **Genus:** Bombus ## Interesting facts - Bumble bees are very important for pollinating crops like blueberries and tomatoes. - Bumble bees create small wax pots to store enough honey and pollen for their growing colony. - Only queen bumble bees survive winter, sleeping underground to start a new colony in spring! - Their wings beat so fast, over 200 times per second, they make their distinctive buzzing sound! ## Special abilities - **Buzz Pollination Power:** Black-and-gold Bumble Bee can vibrate flowers rapidly (buzz pollination) because of powerful wing muscles that helps them shake out hidden pollen. - **Cold Weather Flyer:** Black-and-gold Bumble Bee has a fuzzy body and ability to shiver that helps them warm up and fly in cooler temperatures than many other bees. - **Nectar Sipper:** Black-and-gold Bumble Bee has a long, straw-like tongue (proboscis) that helps them reach sweet nectar deep inside tubular flowers. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 25-45 mm - **Size:** 10-23 mm - **Lifespan:** 14-365 days - **Flight Speed:** 20 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 50-400 ## Diet & Feeding They drink sweet nectar for energy and collect pollen to feed their growing colony of baby bees. - **Primary Foods:** Nectar, Pollen, Clover flowers, Thistle flowers, Sunflower flowers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Red Clover](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-clover) (*Trifolium pratense*) — helps plant make seeds - **Pollinates:** Common Sunflower (*Helianthus annuus*) — gathers nectar and pollen - **Parasitizes:** Ashton's Cuckoo Bumble Bee (*Bombus ashtoni*) — takes over their nests - **Eaten by:** [Goldenrod Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/goldenrod-crab-spider) (*Misumena vatia*) — ambushes bees on flowers ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Bumble bees are usually friendly, but it's best to stay calm and not swat at them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black-and-gold Bumble Bee? Compare the antennae, wings, waist, body hair and legs. Yellow and black stripes show up on bees, wasps and harmless mimics alike. Bee & Wasp Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Black-and-gold Bumble Bee's wingspan? 25-45 mm ### How big is Black-and-gold Bumble Bee? 10-23 mm ### How long does Black-and-gold Bumble Bee live? 14-365 days ### How fast can Black-and-gold Bumble Bee fly? 20 km/h ### What does Black-and-gold Bumble Bee eat? They drink sweet nectar for energy and collect pollen to feed their growing colony of baby bees. ### Where is Black-and-gold Bumble Bee usually found? Grasslands ### How does Black-and-gold Bumble Bee hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedar-valley-arboretum-and-botanic-gardens) — Iowa, US · Botanical Garden - [Minnesota Landscape Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/minnesota-landscape-arboretum) — Minnesota, US · Botanical Garden - [Missouri Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/missouri-botanical-garden) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden - [Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mitchell-park-horticultural-conservatory) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Olbrich Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/olbrich-botanical-gardens) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Huffman Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/huffman-prairie) — Ohio, US · Museum [View all places to see Black-and-gold Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-and-gold-bumble-bee) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Black-and-gold Bumble Bee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-and-gold-bumble-bee)