Bombus pascuorum
Encyclopedia
Bombus pascuorum, the Common Carder-bee, is a species of bumblebee
belonging to the family Apidae
subfamily Apinae
tribus Bombini.
They are present in most of Europe
in a wide variety of habitats such as meadows, pastures, waste ground, ditches and embankments, road, field margins, as well as gardens and parks in urban areas and forests and forest edges.
These bees reach a body length of 15–18 mm (0.590551181102362–0.708661417322835 )(Queen), 9–15 mm (0.354330708661417–0.590551181102362 )(worker) or 12–14 mm (0.47244094488189–0.551181102362205 ) (drone). Their wingspan is 28 to 32 mm (Queen), 20 to 28 mm (worker) or 24 to 27 mm (drone).
The thorax is yellowish or reddish-brown. The first 4 abdominal segments have grayish hair, while the fifth and sixth tergite hairs are yellowish or reddish brown. However the species is quite variable in color.
The head is medium long, the snout long, reaching lengths of 13 to 15 mm (Queen), 12 to 13 mm (worker) and 10 to 11 mm (drone).
Queens appear between early April to mid-May, workers at the end of April / early May to mid-October. Young Queens and drones can be found from mid-August to late October.
When Queens search for suitable places to nest, they fly just above the vegetation, for example on forest edges, investigating cavities such as holes in the ground or niches in dead wood and grass. The nests can be constructed above ground and underground, preferably in old mouse nests but also in bird nests as well as in barns and sheds.
Nest-building proceeds as follows. The Queen collects moss and grass to form a small, hollow sphere whose walls are partly bonded with wax and sealed off. Within this is formed a large bowl of brown wax of about five millimeters, which is filled with pollen. Thereafter 5 to 15 eggs are deposited, and the cell closed. Another 20 mm-high cup is then filled with nectar, thus serving as its own food reserve for bad weather days. After three to five days the larvae hatch to feed on the pollen. After about a week the larvae are mature.
The adult bees, owing to the initially poor supply situation, are relatively small, reaching only about half the body length of the Queen and lacking functioning ovaries. Later hatching bees are much larger. The additional nesting and brood care is dedicated solely to the Queen, which no longer leaves the nest. From August, rarely before, the first fully developed females, together with drones, are ready. Drones hatch from unfertilized eggs.
In August the pascuorum nest, with a diameter of up to 15 to 20 centimeters, reaches a maximum population size from 60 to 150 individuals. Shortly after this peak, the population quickly decreases. With the Queen the entire nest dies, usually in September. Occasionally, individuals survive until October / November. Only the last-hatched females survive, to mate with males. Then they fly in search of a safe place for hibernation.
This polylectic bee feeds on a variety wild flowers, including Nettle (Urticaceae
), Genuine Motherwort (Lamiaceae
), Himalayan Balsam (Balsaminaceae
), Cabbage Thistle, Knapweed (Asteraceae
), Vetch, Red and White Clover (Fabaceae
), Monkshood (Ranuncolaceae), fruit trees, etc.
File:Bumblebee closeup.jpg
File:Bourdon des champs Face.jpg
File:Bourdon des champs global.jpg
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
belonging to the family Apidae
Apidae
The Apidae are a large family of bees, comprising the common honey bees, stingless bees , carpenter bees, orchid bees, cuckoo bees, bumblebees, and various other less well-known groups...
subfamily Apinae
Apinae
The Apinae is the subfamily that includes the majority of bees in the family Apidae, including the familiar "corbiculate" bees , plus all but two of the groups that were previously classified in the family Anthophoridae...
tribus Bombini.
They are present in most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in a wide variety of habitats such as meadows, pastures, waste ground, ditches and embankments, road, field margins, as well as gardens and parks in urban areas and forests and forest edges.
These bees reach a body length of 15–18 mm (0.590551181102362–0.708661417322835 )(Queen), 9–15 mm (0.354330708661417–0.590551181102362 )(worker) or 12–14 mm (0.47244094488189–0.551181102362205 ) (drone). Their wingspan is 28 to 32 mm (Queen), 20 to 28 mm (worker) or 24 to 27 mm (drone).
The thorax is yellowish or reddish-brown. The first 4 abdominal segments have grayish hair, while the fifth and sixth tergite hairs are yellowish or reddish brown. However the species is quite variable in color.
The head is medium long, the snout long, reaching lengths of 13 to 15 mm (Queen), 12 to 13 mm (worker) and 10 to 11 mm (drone).
Queens appear between early April to mid-May, workers at the end of April / early May to mid-October. Young Queens and drones can be found from mid-August to late October.
When Queens search for suitable places to nest, they fly just above the vegetation, for example on forest edges, investigating cavities such as holes in the ground or niches in dead wood and grass. The nests can be constructed above ground and underground, preferably in old mouse nests but also in bird nests as well as in barns and sheds.
Nest-building proceeds as follows. The Queen collects moss and grass to form a small, hollow sphere whose walls are partly bonded with wax and sealed off. Within this is formed a large bowl of brown wax of about five millimeters, which is filled with pollen. Thereafter 5 to 15 eggs are deposited, and the cell closed. Another 20 mm-high cup is then filled with nectar, thus serving as its own food reserve for bad weather days. After three to five days the larvae hatch to feed on the pollen. After about a week the larvae are mature.
The adult bees, owing to the initially poor supply situation, are relatively small, reaching only about half the body length of the Queen and lacking functioning ovaries. Later hatching bees are much larger. The additional nesting and brood care is dedicated solely to the Queen, which no longer leaves the nest. From August, rarely before, the first fully developed females, together with drones, are ready. Drones hatch from unfertilized eggs.
In August the pascuorum nest, with a diameter of up to 15 to 20 centimeters, reaches a maximum population size from 60 to 150 individuals. Shortly after this peak, the population quickly decreases. With the Queen the entire nest dies, usually in September. Occasionally, individuals survive until October / November. Only the last-hatched females survive, to mate with males. Then they fly in search of a safe place for hibernation.
This polylectic bee feeds on a variety wild flowers, including Nettle (Urticaceae
Urticaceae
Urticaceae, or the nettle family, is a family of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus Urtica . Urticaceae includes a number of well-known and useful plants, including the aforementioned nettles, Ramie , māmaki , and ajlai .The family includes approximately 2600 species, grouped...
), Genuine Motherwort (Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
), Himalayan Balsam (Balsaminaceae
Balsaminaceae
Balsaminaceae are a family of dicotyledonous plants, comprising two genera and 850+ species, all but one of which belong to the genus Impatiens...
), Cabbage Thistle, Knapweed (Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
), Vetch, Red and White Clover (Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
), Monkshood (Ranuncolaceae), fruit trees, etc.
Gallery
File:Bumblebee closeup.jpg
File:Bourdon des champs Face.jpg
File:Bourdon des champs global.jpg