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Red-tailed bumblebee

Bombus lapidarius

Velvety black bee with red tail.
Wild Bees Placeholder

Queen

All black
Red tail

Wild Bees Placeholder
March

Worker

All black
Red tail

Wild Bees Placeholder
April

Male

Collar and rear band
Red-tail

Wild Bees Placeholder
May
  • Black, fluffy bee.
  • One of first bees to emerge in Spring.
  • The red tail can fade to ginger over time.
Bumblebee
Red Tail
Common
Widespread
Not Applicable
Bumblebee
Red Tail
Common
Widespread
Not Applicable

Red-tailed bumblebee

Bombus lapidarius

Wild Bees Placeholder

Likes gardens, grasslands and woodland edges.

  • Dandelions
  • Honeysuckle
  • Lavender
crocus Crocus
lavendar Lavendar
thistle Thistle

Nest

  • Underground and enclosed spaces.
  • Usually 1 cycle per year – 2 per year in the South.
  • Lasts 3-4 months.
  • Up to 300 workers.

Distribution

  • Common.
  • Widespread.
  • Becoming scarcer in northern Scotland.