Invertebrates
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Bombus lapidarius
On a clump of knapweed in July, a red-tailed bumblebee works the purple flowers, its black body and glowing red tail unmistakable among the paler bees.
Overview
The red-tailed bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius, is a Least Concern bumblebee of grassland, farmland, and gardens across much of Europe, extending into western Asia. Its black and red colours and underground nesting make it one of the best-known and most widespread bumblebees of the region.
A bumblebee with a parasite
The red-tailed bumblebee’s nest is sometimes invaded by its cuckoo bumblebee relative, which takes over the colony and uses its workers to raise young that are not their own.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Red-tailed Bumblebee: common questions
How can you recognise a red-tailed bumblebee?
It has a velvety black body and a bright red-orange tail, which together make it easy to tell from other bumblebees.
Where does the red-tailed bumblebee nest?
It builds its nest underground, in old rodent holes, under stones, and in the cavities of walls and rockeries.
What is a cuckoo bumblebee?
A species that invades another bumblebee's nest, kills the queen, and has the workers raise its young, and the red-tailed bumblebee is one host.
Where is the red-tailed bumblebee found?
It lives in grassland, farmland, and gardens across much of Europe, extending into western Asia.