I think these are the same individual, though there was a time gap between taking the pictures on the pink flower and the red one.
Notice the pollen sacs on the legs. There were several bumble bees and a yellowjacket buzzing around these flowers (wild buckwheat).
Bombus huntii. Mount Bigelow, Santa Catalina Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, USA. 17 September 2012.
Found Equivalent in Bugguide Node:
Bombus pensylvanicus, male. Guide books do not show this particular color variation in the males, which usually have all yellow segments with a hint of black and orange at the very end, instead of 1 black segment, followed by 3 yellow, ended by two black and orange.
Very exciting!
Compare to images at Bugguide node:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/497014
Bombus Pensylvanicus on a Tithonia or Mexican Sunflower.
Brown Belted Bumble Bee on a Cosmo at OKC Zoo. Compare to: http://bugguide.net/node/view/362875
A Bombus pensylvanicus [I think this one is a worker] on a golden beard and crown aster.
See Discover Life pensylvanicus page.
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?search=Bombus+pensylvanicus&guide=Bumblebees&mobile=iPhone
The yellow segments are accented with a brown or beige darkening where the segments connect.
Brown Belted Bumble Bee visiting field of golden beard and crowns. Note beige stripe between yellow and black on the abdominal region of the bee. Some have a darker ruddier brown stripe than others.
compare to Discover life page:
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Bombus+griseocollis
Bumble Bee, I included this to show variation in this species. Previous photos show only 3 yellow bands on the abdomen, but this one has a completely yellow or amber abdominal bands with the beige or brown accents at areas the segments join.
Examples of this color variation are also shown on the Discover life page for this type of bumble bee:
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?search=Bombus+pensylvanicus&guide=Bumblebees&mobile=iPhone
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is tracking populations of four imperiled species of bumble bees in North America. Four once-common bumble bees have nearly disappeared from their native ranges. Have you seen the rusty-patched, yellow-banded, western or Franklin's bumble bee? Help us track the status of these essential pollinators. See ...more ↓
richard3
created this project on August 1, 2012
