Images

There are about 50 species of bumble bees north of Mexico. Here is a common northern species that creeps down the mountains to the Appalachians. It also appears to be retracting its southern range edge...perhaps due to global warming or who knows? Still common in the north, but something to keep track of.

Bombus vagans, a male from the Adirondacks of New York. How lovely to look at this northernish Bumblebee species. Check out the mustache...characteristic of the males, females have no mustache, just clear integument. I just like looking at this particular specimen.

There are about 50 species of bumble bees north of Mexico. Here is a common northern species that creeps down the mountains to the Appalachians. It also appears to be retracting its southern range edge...perhaps due to global warming or who knows? Still common in the north, but something to keep track of.

A series of pictures of a queen and a male of the northernish bumble bee Bombus vagans. Still a reasonable common component of northern Appalachian systems, its been retreating from its lower elevation and southern edges over the last century.

A series of pictures of a queen and a male of the northernish bumble bee Bombus vagans. Still a reasonable common component of northern Appalachian systems, its been retreating from its lower elevation and southern edges over the last century.

A series of pictures of a queen and a male of the northernish bumble bee Bombus vagans. Still a reasonable common component of northern Appalachian systems, its been retreating from its lower elevation and southern edges over the last century.

A series of pictures of a queen and a male of the northernish bumble bee Bombus vagans. Still a reasonable common component of northern Appalachian systems, its been retreating from its lower elevation and southern edges over the last century.

The female face of the series we took of B. vandykei from Yosemite National Park. Just cleaning up.

In the female, Bombus vandykei is almost all Black but here in the male it is almost all yellow. Why? Hard to say, but still a common species out West and that question is still available for study. This fellow is from Yosemite National park collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al.

In the female, Bombus vandykei is almost all Black but here in the male it is almost all yellow. Why? Hard to say, but still a common species out West and that question is still available for study. This fellow is from Yosemite National park collected for a project done by Lauren Ponisio examining the effect of fire diversity on bees (Ponisio et al.

Bombus variabilis, male, St. Mary's County, Maryland, Nest parasite, now extremely rare

Bombus variabilis, male, St. Mary's County, Maryland, Nest parasite, now extremely rare

Bombus variabilis, male, St. Mary's County, Maryland, Nest parasite, now extremely rare

One of the common and strikingly dark western bumble bees. This species largely restricted to coastal and Sierra ranges. The current specimen comes from Claire Kremen's study of Yosemite National Park bees. Photographs by Anders Croft.

More black bumble bees from Yosemite National Park. Here is the male of Bombus vosnesenskii. This species was described by the relatively prolific Polish Taxonomist Oktawiusz Wincenty Bourmeister-Radoszkowski who pumped out a great many new descriptions of bees in many parts of the world.

More black bumble bees from Yosemite National Park. Here is the male of Bombus vosnesenskii. This species was described by the relatively prolific Polish Taxonomist Oktawiusz Wincenty Bourmeister-Radoszkowski who pumped out a great many new descriptions of bees in many parts of the world.

More black bumble bees from Yosemite National Park. Here is the male of Bombus vosnesenskii. This species was described by the relatively prolific Polish Taxonomist Oktawiusz Wincenty Bourmeister-Radoszkowski who pumped out a great many new descriptions of bees in many parts of the world.

One of the common and strikingly dark western bumble bees. This species largely restricted to coastal and Sierra ranges. The current specimen comes from Claire Kremen's study of Yosemite National Park bees. Photographs by Anders Croft.

Bombus bifarius, female, Yellowstone National Park, NPS, Wyoming

Bombus griseocollis, Queen , South Dakota, USA, Badlands

Bombus griseocollis, Queen, South Dakota, USA, Badlands