Bumble help??

[Cetti]

I thought this was a Common Carder Bee but now I don't think it is. Can anyone help identify it please?

http://i2.tinypic.com/vdz9j7.jpg

[nickmo]

Send the pic to the site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bwars/ which is a bee recording group as they will be able to use the sighting for their records of species and answer the query too.

[gen2]

Hi Cetti, I have just used the key on the Natural History Museum's site here and it came up with Bombus pascuorum (common carder bee) just as you originally thought. This species is described as very variable, having more black in the south and less in the north.

A search on Google images for Bombus pascuorum gives many examples and the one on this page at the bottom right has very similar markings so I would agree with your identification.

[Cetti]

Thank you gen2 for the confirmation and for that terrific site. It's definitely one for Bookmarking.

The reason I queried the name is a friend has just sent me this picture with the Carder Bee tag and they don't look the same to me.

[gen2]

Cetti, That second photo looks like a rather faded version of the same species. The arched position of the body makes it difficult to see both the hairy orange thorax and the orange tail. I quote from one site 'Early in the summer, before it has been bleached by the sun, the hairs are a beautiful, rich ginger colour.' This photo just looks very bleached carder bee.

PS, I don't claim to be an expert so if anyone knows better . . .

[Cetti]

I think you could be right gen2 - a paler version.

To add to the confusion the site tells me that the male, female and worker are all different patterns!