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Great Basin Bumble Bee

Bombus centralis

The Great Basin Bumble Bee is a fuzzy, friendly bee that loves to visit flowers. They help plants grow by spreading pollen while they collect nectar. These bees are important for our gardens and wildflowers!

Habitat: Mountain regions

Appearance

The Great Basin Bumble Bee has a fuzzy body, primarily yellow with a distinct black band between its wings on the thorax. Its abdomen is mostly yellow, often featuring a black band on the second segment and sometimes rusty orange on the final segments, making it quite striking.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderHymenopteraFamilyApidaeGenusBombus
Great Basin Bumble Bee
furry trait badgesocial trait badgeherbivorous trait badgepollinator_magnet trait badge
Great Basin Bumble Bee

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

Many Great Basin Bumble Bees choose abandoned rodent burrows for their nests.

Queens wake up in early spring and start new colonies all by themselves!

These bees make tiny wax pots inside their nests to store nectar for food.

They are really good at remembering which flowers have the best nectar!

Special abilities

Ability

Buzz Pollination

Great Basin Bumble Bee can vibrate flowers at a special frequency to shake out hidden pollen, helping plants grow.

Ability

Internal Heater

Great Basin Bumble Bee can uncouple its wings and shiver flight muscles to generate heat, helping them fly in cool weather.

Ability

Pollen Backpacks

Great Basin Bumble Bee has special 'baskets' on its hind legs to pack and carry large amounts of pollen back to its nest.

Measurements & details

Wingspan
25-40 mm
Size
10-25 mm
Lifespan
14-365 days
Flight Speed
15 km/h
Leg Count
6
Colony Size
300

Diet & Feeding

Great Basin Bumble Bees buzz around flowers sipping sweet nectar and collecting protein-rich pollen.

Age differences: Larvae are fed a mixture of pollen and nectar by worker bees.

Primary Foods

  • Nectar
  • Pollen
  • Lupine flowers
  • Sunflower flowers
  • Geranium flowers

Foraging Method

  • Foraging

Ecological connections

pollinates

Silvery Lupine

Lupinus argenteus

Buzz pollination helps release pollen from these flowers.

pollinates

Common Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

Visits the large flower heads to collect pollen and nectar.

pollinates

Sticky Geranium

Geranium viscosissimum

An important nectar and pollen source in its habitat.

eaten by

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

This bird catches flying insects, including bumble bees.

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Be gentle and stay calm if you see a bee. They usually won't bother you if you don't bother them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Great Basin Bumble Bee's wingspan?

25-40 mm

How big is Great Basin Bumble Bee?

10-25 mm

How long does Great Basin Bumble Bee live?

14-365 days

How fast can Great Basin Bumble Bee fly?

15 km/h

What does Great Basin Bumble Bee eat?

Great Basin Bumble Bees buzz around flowers sipping sweet nectar and collecting protein-rich pollen.

Where is Great Basin Bumble Bee usually found?

Mountain regions

How does Great Basin Bumble Bee hunt?

Foraging

How many legs does Great Basin Bumble Bee have?

6

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