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Heath Bumblebee

Bombus jonellus

Small, fluffy bee with three yellow stripes.
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Queen

Black fluffy face
Yellow collar
Yellow rear band
Yellow front band
White tail (buff in Shetland and Western Isles)

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February

Worker

Black fluffy face
Yellow collar
Yellow rear band
Yellow front band
White tail (buff in Shetland and Western Isles)

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March

Male

Yellow fluffy face
Yellow collar
Yellow rear band
Yellow front band
White tail (buff in Shetland and Western Isles)

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April
  • Quite long haired, fluffy thing
  • Looks like a small, fluffy Garden bumblebee
  • Males have fluffy, yellow face hair
  • Often have dark buff tail in the Shetlands and Western Isles
  • Often have dark forms, especially queens
Bumblebee
Buff, White Tail
Less Common
Widespread
Not Applicable
Bumblebee
Buff, White Tail
Less Common
Widespread
Not Applicable

Heath Bumblebee

Bombus jonellus

Likes moorland and heathland
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  • Bramble
  • Clovers
  • Heathers
  • Knapweed
  • Ragwort
  • Sallows
  • Scabiouses
  • Thistle
  • Thyme
crocus Crocus
lavendar Lavendar
thistle Thistle

Nest

  • Underground; they like old rodent nests
  • Ground-level: under dense vegetation, under bushes, leaf litter, birds nests, holes in trees
  • One cycle per year in north, can have two cycles further south
  • Short-lived lasting around three months
  • About 50 workers

Distribution

  • More common in Scotland and along the south coast of England; less common elsewhere
  • Tends to be localised to highlands of Scotland and South coast of England
  • Like uplands and heathland habitats