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Tricolored Bumble Bee

Bombus ternarius

The Tricolored Bumble Bee is a fuzzy little insect that helps flowers grow by spreading pollen. They have a special black, yellow, and orange color pattern that makes them easy to spot in gardens.

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The Tricolored Bumble Bee has a distinctive fuzzy body with black, bright yellow, and reddish-orange bands. Its head is black, followed by a yellow patch on the thorax, then a black band, and finally a prominent yellow, reddish-orange, and black pattern on the abdomen, making it easily recognizable.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassInsectaOrderHymenopteraFamilyApidaeGenusBombus
Tricolored Bumble Bee
Photo: Beatriz MoissetCC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsView original ↗
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Tricolored Bumble Bee

Category

Insects

Rarity

Common

Danger

2/5 · Low

Snaps

11

Interesting facts

Even without ears, they can sense danger by feeling vibrations through their legs!

Queens decide if their eggs become male or female bees, controlling the colony's future!

The queen bee starts the entire colony by herself after waking up from winter hibernation!

These bees have tiny 'pollen baskets' on their back legs to carry flower goodness home!

Special abilities

Ability

Buzz Pollination

Tricolored Bumble Bee can vibrate its flight muscles to release pollen from flowers, which helps them collect more food efficiently.

Ability

Cold Warrior

Tricolored Bumble Bee has a dense coat of fur that helps them stay warm, allowing them to forage in cooler weather than most bees.

Ability

Spatial Memory

Tricolored Bumble Bee can remember flower locations and flight paths, which helps them find food resources quickly each day.

Measurements & details

Wingspan
20-45 mm
Size
9-19 mm
Lifespan
20-40 days
Flight Speed
15 km/h
Leg Count
6
Colony Size
200

Diet & Feeding

These fuzzy bees sip sweet nectar for energy and collect pollen for protein!

Primary Foods

  • nectar
  • pollen
  • clover
  • goldenrod
  • aster
  • blueberry

Foraging Method

  • Foraging

Ecological connections

Traits

Also known as

Tricolored Bee

Collections

Safety

Danger

2/5 · Low

Bumble bees are usually friendly, but it's best to watch them from a distance and not disturb their nests.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Tricolored 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 Tricolored Bumble Bee's wingspan?

20-45 mm

How big is Tricolored Bumble Bee?

9-19 mm

How long does Tricolored Bumble Bee live?

20-40 days

How fast can Tricolored Bumble Bee fly?

15 km/h

What does Tricolored Bumble Bee eat?

These fuzzy bees sip sweet nectar for energy and collect pollen for protein!

Where is Tricolored Bumble Bee usually found?

Grasslands

How does Tricolored Bumble Bee hunt?

Foraging

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