# Black-tailed Bumble Bee (*Bombus melanopygus*) The Black-tailed Bumble Bee is a fuzzy, friendly insect that helps flowers grow by spreading pollen. They are often seen buzzing around gardens and parks, making them a delightful sight! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Black-tailed Bumble Bee](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bombus_melanopygus_10904.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombus_melanopygus_10904.JPG) ## Appearance The Black-tailed Bumble Bee is a medium-sized bee with a fuzzy, rounded body. It typically has two yellow bands on its thorax and a yellow band on its first abdominal segment. The rest of its abdomen is primarily black, often with reddish-orange hairs at the very tip, giving it its 'black-tailed' appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Apidae - **Genus:** Bombus ## Interesting facts - A queen bee lays all the eggs, starting a new colony each year! - Bumble bees can fly in temperatures too cold for most other insects! - They have a super-sense for electric fields, helping them find flowers! - They use their sticky feet to climb and hold onto flowers! ## Special abilities - **Buzz Pollination:** Black-tailed Bumble Bee can vibrate its powerful flight muscles to shake pollen loose from flowers, helping them spread seeds. - **Internal Thermostat:** Black-tailed Bumble Bee can shiver its muscles to warm up its body, letting it fly in colder temperatures than many other insects. - **Navigation Wiz:** Black-tailed Bumble Bee can remember the best flower patches and quickly find its way back to its nest using landmarks. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 20-38 mm - **Size:** 10-19 mm - **Lifespan:** 14-365 days - **Flight Speed:** 18 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 50-200 ## Diet & Feeding These busy bees sip sweet nectar for energy and gather pollen for their babies. - **Primary Foods:** Nectar, Pollen, Lupine flowers, Clover flowers, Aster flowers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Arctic Lupine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arctic-lupine) (*Lupinus arcticus*) — Collects nectar and pollen, aiding plant reproduction. - **Eats:** Flower Crab Spider (*Misumena vatia*) — Ambush predator camouflaged in flowers, preying on bees. - **Parasitizes:** Thick-headed Fly (*Physocephala rufipes*) — Lays eggs on bees; larvae develop inside the bumble bee. ## 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. - [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. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [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:** 2/5 · Low Don't touch bees; just watch them from a distance. They are usually friendly! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black-tailed 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-tailed Bumble Bee's wingspan? 20-38 mm ### How big is Black-tailed Bumble Bee? 10-19 mm ### How long does Black-tailed Bumble Bee live? 14-365 days ### How fast can Black-tailed Bumble Bee fly? 18 km/h ### What does Black-tailed Bumble Bee eat? These busy bees sip sweet nectar for energy and gather pollen for their babies. ### Where is Black-tailed Bumble Bee usually found? Urban areas ### How does Black-tailed Bumble Bee hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Bloedel Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloedel-reserve) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-regional-wildland-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Fairhaven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairhaven) — Washington, US · Neighborhood - [Marymoor Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marymoor-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Polebridge Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/polebridge-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/point-defiance-zoo-and-aquarium) — Washington, US · Zoo [View all places to see Black-tailed Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-tailed-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-tailed Bumble Bee: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-bumble-bee)