Bombus hortorum
Habitat: Gardens, parks and other open spaces
Size: Queen 17-20mm, workers and males 11-15mm
Species account: A common visitor to gardens, B.hortorum has the longest tongue of any British bumblebee, allowing it to access nectar from flowers which are too deep for other species. The two bands of yellow on the thorax help to instantly distinguish this species from B.terrestris and B.lucorum. B.jonellus has a similar pattern, but has a round face, whereas that of B.hortorum is obviously longer than it is wide.
The rare species B.ruderatus shares a similar pattern and long face, but is larger and more shaggy looking, has the white hairs on the abdomen extending further forward at the sides than in the middle, has equal width bands at the front and back of the thorax (front is wider in hortorum) and does not have yellow hairs on abdominal segment two. A combination of these characters should be used to separate these species.
