Brown-banded Carder Bee - Bombus humilis

Habitat: Coastal areas and brownfield sites in Southern UK

Size: Queens 16-18mm, workers and males 10-14mm

Species Account: One of several species which declined rapidly following the intensification of agriculture following the second world war. Now restricted largely to coastal sites in southern England and Wales. Separated from the far commoner Bombus pascuorum by the complete absence of black hairs from the abdomen, a character shared with the other scarce ginger bumblebee, Bombus muscorum. The brown band of the common name is usually fairly clear on tergite 2, but B.muscorum may show a similar pattern. B.humilis usually has some black hairs in the thorax, especially around the wing-base, whereas there are never any black hairs on the southern races of B.muscorum.

Distribution Map