David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital
Video Images
_____________________________________________________________________
Hymenoptera 64 – Tree Bumblebees
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
(m)
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
TREE
BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum (m)
TREE BUMBLEBEE Bombus hypnorum
(m)
·
Ironically
the tawny orange, black and white Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum, the most recently established bumblebee in
the UK is also one of the most readily identifiable as the ‘tricolour’ arrangement
(perhaps a misnomer as neither white nor black are colours) is so distinctive.
Having originally arrived from Europe during 2001 this species has spread
rapidly. The fourth photograph illustrates the first member of the species
recorded at Kew Gardens in 2007 (photographed during the photographer’s first
visit there for 33 years!). The bee is polylectic and
it is therefore easy to find in gardens where nectar and pollen sources are
available (i.e. not those that have been concreted over!). Blackberry Rubus fruticosus,
Burdocks Arctium spp. and blossom-covered
trees seem to be particularly attractive to them. As a cavity breeder it can
exploit bird-boxes and natural or bird-excavated hollows in trees. Males
possess tawny hairs on the tops of their heads (as opposed to black in females
or workers) and their bodies appear to be narrower, particularly in the bee
shown in the final photograph. There is variation in both size and colour and the
tawny coloration may be replaced by black in some examples. The self-introduction
of this successful insect flies in the face of the ongoing and very disturbing general
decline of so many invertebrates (including other bumblebees) that cannot be
disassociated from human behaviour. The fact that this bee can thrive in
gardens that may have not been exposed to a constant deluge of toxic insecticides
may have something to do with this. A welcome, naturally occurring addition to
the British fauna.
->
Hymenoptera 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51,
52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100
-> Species Index, Common Names
-> Species Index, Scientific Names
-> Site
Index
-> Home