Kingdom Animalia Order Hymenoptera Genus Bombus Scientific name Bombus rupestris Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Family Apidae Subgenus (Psithyrus) Higher classification Bumblebee | |
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Similar Bumblebee, Bombus sylvestris, Bombus campestris, Bombus ruderarius, Bombus bohemicus | ||
Red tailed cuckoo bumblebee bombus rupestris
Bombus rupestris is a species of cuckoo bumblebee present in most of Europe except Iceland and the Balkans. It is also found in Turkey.
Contents
- Red tailed cuckoo bumblebee bombus rupestris
- Cuckoo bumble bee bombus rupestris black form
- Description
- Behaviour
- References
Cuckoo bumble bee bombus rupestris black form
Description
The female is much larger than the male; she has a length of 20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in), while the drone usually is not more than 16 mm (0.63 in). The bumblebee is black, with the last abdominal segments coloured orange-red.
Due to its parasitic lifestyle, no workers exist.
Behaviour
Bombus rupestris is found in flower-rich habitats, such as meadows and along hedgerows. The bumblebee parasitizes the nests of the red-tailed bumblebee, B. lapidarius, whose queen is killed or subjugated.
References
Bombus rupestris Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA