Get all the buzz on the black and gold bumble bee
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Chances are that if you go outside in the spring, summer and early fall, you are going to encounter something yellow buzzing past you. One of the most common and most recognizable of those bright flying friends is the bumble bee.
Calling the fuzzy flyers bumble bees is accurate, but did you know “bumble bee” is a whole group of animals, not just one! In fact, there are about 250 different species of bumble bees all over the world. Here is the buzz on our new state bee: the black and gold bumble bee.
Bumble bees are most known for their fuzzy bodies. Their round bodies are covered in long soft hairs called setae. Not only do thick setae give the bee its iconic look, but it also acts as insulation, much like fur on a mammal. That insulation keeps bees warm in colder climates.
A bee needs to keep warm not only for survival, but to fly around and find food. Bee muscles must be at a certain temperature, around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, before they can take flight. Just like us, bees also shiver to warm up.
With lots of bees bumbling around, it might be hard to tell the difference between the black and gold bumble bee and another species. But how do we know which bumble bee is buzzing by?
Words to know
Encounter: To come upon face to face.
Repurpose: To give new purpose to.
First, the black and gold bumble bee is one of the larger species, with worker bees measuring at about a half-inch and the queens up to 1 inch. That might not seem too big, but wait until one flies by!
Aside from the size, you can tell by the markings. The top of the head is yellow. The thorax, or the middle of the three insect body parts, has one or more yellow stripes. The second and third bands on the abdomen are yellow, and the first band may be yellow as well. The tail is black.
The easiest way to identify which insect is which? Snap a photo and compare images later! Want to be a scientist and document what you discover? The Xerces (pronounced zer-sees) Society for Invertebrate Research is asking you to document which bees you encounter through its Bumble Bee Watch initiative.
Unlike some of its relatives, such as the rusty patched bumble bee, the black and gold bumble bee is not endangered and can be found all over the state. In fact, you can find them in most of the United States east of Montana.
Here in Illinois, they enjoy all different types of prairie habitats — black soil, dolomite, hill, sand, etc. It is in these prairies that they find their favorite flowers: thistles, clover, coneflowers, delphinium, St. John’s worts, thoroughworts, bee balms and night shades.
Bumble bees, the black and gold included, are important and efficient pollinators in these ecosystems. They have longer tongues than honeybees, which lets them reach deep inside tube-shaped flowers.
They also have a trick called buzz pollination. Have you ever eaten cereal right from the bowl but had to tap the bottom to get the last few cereal pieces unstuck? That’s like what bumble bees do. They grab the flower and vibrate their wing muscles to shake the last bit of powdery pollen.
After finding food, bumble bees return to their nests. They are social bees (unlike many other native bees) and live in smaller colonies of about 50 to 500. Be careful where you step! These bees mostly live underground, repurposing old rodent tunnels for their homes.
Keep an eye out for our newest state symbol the next time you see a fuzzy flash of black and yellow fly by!
