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Large earth bumblebee

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Large earth bumblebee

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Have you seen the large earth bumblebee?

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Large earth bumblebee

Large earth bumblebee; may be 8-25mm long

Image: Dr Michael Batley and the ANBRC.

Native bees that may be confused with bumblebees. From left to right: the blue-banded, great carpenter and teddy bear bees

Native bees that may be mistaken for bumblebees (L to R): blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulata) 10-14mm long; great carpenter bee (Xylocopa aruana) 13-18mm long; and teddy bear bee (Amegilla bombiformis) 13-18mm long
Image: Dr Michael Batley and the ANBRC

General information

Australia has no native bumblebee species, although some native bees may be mistaken for exotic bumblebees, such as the blue-banded bee, great carpenter bee and the teddy bear bee.

The large earth bumblebee is native to the northern hemisphere, but has been established in New Zealand for many years and was deliberately introduced into Tasmania in 1992. A single specimen was found at Fisherman Island in Brisbane in May 2003; surveillance at the time showed this was a single occurrence and the species had not established itself.

Overview

Species name

Bombus terrestris
Impacts
  • competes with native honeybees for nectar
  • specialist pollinator of specific weeds
  • can sting repeatedly; the stings may cause a severe allergic reaction in some people
Description
  • large, fat and hairy appearance
  • worker bees may be 8 mm to 22 mm in length
  • queen bees are up to about 25 mm long
  • black with one yellow/ochre band across the thorax and another across the abdomen
  • tip of their abdomen is buff or white
  • make a loud buzzing sound when they fly
Habitat and distribution
  • social insects
  • life cycle is similar to that of honeybees
  • nests are usually found about 10 cm under the soil surface. Nests have been found in: old rodent nests (inside sheds or outdoors); compost heaps; piles of leaf litter or grass clippings; woodpiles; old stuffed chairs or sofas; covered drains; and cavities underneath concrete paths or houses
  • queen bumblebees hibernate over winter and form new colonies as the weather warms in spring
  • all castes of the bee (queen, worker and drone) are found in a thriving colony

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(for questions - please use our enquiries form.)

Author: Hamish Lamb and Dr Anne Dollin
Page maintained by Karen Skelton
Last updated 22 February 2011

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