Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Apidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Hymenoptera Genus Bombus | |
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Similar Bombus flavifrons, Bombus insularis, Bombus centralis, Bombus mixtus, Bombus nevadensis | ||
Bombus appositus is a species of bumblebee known commonly as the white-shouldered bumblebee. It is native to western North America, including western Canada and the western United States.
This species lives in open habitat, such as meadows and slopes. It nests underground or on the surface. Males congregate to seek mates. It feeds on a variety of plant taxa, including giant hyssops, thistles, gentians, owl's clovers, locoweeds, penstemons, and clovers. It especially favors subalpine larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi) and it serves as one of the plant's main pollinators.
This species is a host to Bombus insularis, a species of cuckoo bumblebee.
References
Bombus appositus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA