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Black-tailed bumble bee

Bombus melanopygus

Black-tailed bumble bee

Nesting Preference

Nests in underground cavities and also in sheltered above-ground sites, including bird boxes and building insulation.

Active Time of Year

One of the earlier species to appear, beginning in late winter or early spring in mild areas. In the Willamette Valley, colonies often finish their season before the main summer red clover bloom.

Identifying Characteristics

Queens and workers have mixed yellow and black hairs at the front of the thorax, giving it a cloudy appearance. Many Oregon bees have orange-red hair on the second and third abdominal segments and a darker tail. A form with black middle segments also occurs, especially farther south. A black tail alone is not enough to identify this species.

Fun Fact

The red-banded and black-banded forms were once treated as separate species. Genetic and breeding studies helped establish that they belong to the same species.

Black-tailed bumblebees visit a wide variety of flowers, including currants, willows, and blueberries. Their early season makes spring flowers especially relevant when looking for these bees. Color varies across their range, so compare several features rather than relying on the common name.

Sources and Further Reading

Read more on Wikipedia

Solitary wasp

A solitary wasp has no colony of workers helping raise her young. A female may stock her own nest cells with food, or find a host for her developing offspring. Solitary describes social life; parasitoid describes a feeding strategy. A wasp can be both.

Social wasp

Social wasps share a nest and cooperate in raising young. In yellowjacket and paper wasp colonies, reproductive females lay eggs and workers help feed the brood and maintain the nest. They can defend that nest, so observing a forager is different from approaching a colony.

Non-native Social wasp

This is a social wasp introduced beyond its natural range. In this case the European paper wasp was introduced to North America from Europe, probably hidden in shipping materials. Non-native describes its origin, while social describes colony life.