The early bumblebee, Bombus pratorum, is a black bumblebee

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...

, with a yellow band around the front of the thorax

Thorax

The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...

 and red colouration on abdominal segments 4 to 6. The queen is 15 to 17mm, the worker 9 to 14mm and the male 11 to 13mm.

Flight period

Although it flies early - March to July - hence its name, other species such as the large earth bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee or large earth bumblebee is one of the most numerous bumblebee species in Europe. The queen is 2–2.7 cm long, while the workers are 1½–2 cm...

fly as early as February.

Habitat

Its habitat is very wide ranging, including fields, parks, scrubland, but not in dense forest.

Behaviour

It stores pollen in wax pots or empty cells. Colonies rarely contain more than 120 individuals.