Sonoran Bumble Bee
Bombus sonorus
Who am I? 2
Bzz bzz! Hi! I am the Sonoran bumble bee (Bombus sonorus). Some may say I am a subspecies of Bombus pennsylvanicus, but others claim we are our own distinct species. Since we are bumble bees, we are famous for our buzz pollination methods. We pollinate crops from local blueberries to tomatoes in the hydroponic industry (who are actually very reliant on us for fruit production). Like other pollinators, our numbers and species are in decline. Prior to the 1990's, we were abundant southern and some parts of northern California. Since then, we are often no longer found or less abundant in these areas. Causes include introduction of European diseases, urbanization, much like our honeybee relatives.
Quick facts 3
Common name: Sonoran bumble bee
Scientific name:Bombus sonorus (Say 1837)
Characteristics:
- Workers are generally 14 to 18 mm long, with queens being larger
- Thorax: distinct black band separating posterior and anterior yellow bands
- Abdomen is all yellow except for three segments
- All black head
- Younger bees are usually a brighter yellow
Nectar plant: Visits a variety of flowers including sunflowers, thistles, clover, and Black-eyed Susans. Click on this link from Discover Life to see the whole list: https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Bombus+sonorus#Hosts
Distribution: Mostly present in SW United States (Southern California to Texas, Nevada, and Utah) and Mexico; common in Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts
Flight times: Appears to be most active during the summer months (June - September). See seasonality: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/308726-Anthophora-californica
Read more about Bombus sonorus here: ID GUIDE TO WILD BEES OF THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY CENTER, https://www.wildbeestexas.com/bombus
Where can you find me on campus? 3
There are not a lot of Sonoran bumble bee observations, but the two observations that are recorded are located at Old Main Fountain and in front of the Education building. This is similar to Apis mellifera and Xylocopa bees on campus. Of course, they can be observed at other locations on campus where flowers are present, but they may occur there less frequently.
References 3
Animal Diversity Web – University of Michigan, https://animaldiversity.org/
Bug Guide – Iowa State University, https://bugguide.net/node/view/15740
Discover Life, https://www.discoverlife.org/
Encyclopedia of Life, https://eol.org/
ID GUIDE TO WILD BEES OF THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY CENTER, https://www.wildbeestexas.com/bombus
iNaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/home
U.S. Forest Service, https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/SonoranBumblebee.shtml#:~:text=The%20Sonoran%20bumblebee%2C%20Bombus%20sonorus,bees%20in%20the%20United%20States.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Maxine Cruz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Maxine Cruz
- Adapted by Katy Prudic from a work by (c) Maxine Cruz, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- (c) Maxine Cruz, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Pattern | stripes |
|---|---|
| Color | black, yellow |
| Type | bumble bee |
| Body | fuzzy |
| Size | medium |
