Bombus terrestris

Buff-tailed bumblebee

This is usually the earliest bumblebee to emerge in spring, when its deep, humming buzz advertises its presence. It is common in gardens and is very common in southern Scotland, but has been expanding northwards.
  • Queens are huge, have square buff tails and a short square head. The two bands, one at the front of thorax, the other near the top of the abdomen, are brownish yellow.
  • Workers have the same bands but they are more brightly yellow and a nearly white tails with a buffish tinge. Care must therefor be taken not to confuse them with the workers of the White-tailed bumblebee (B.lucorum)
  • Males often have buff tails like the queens (and therefore quite unlike the males of the White tailed bumblebee (B.lucorum) see below)

Bombus lucorum

White tailed bumblebee

This is one of the commonest and most widespread bumblebees in Scotland. It is common in gardens and elsewhere.
  • The queen has two bright yellow bands, one on the thorax behind the head and another one near the top of the abdomen, which occasionally may appear broken (see also Broken banded bumblebee (B.soroeensis) below. There may be a few yellow hairs also at the rear of thorax. The tail is white and may occasionally have a pinkish tinge.
  • Workers are very like the queen including very white tails, unless they are old and worn.
  • Males vary in colour. They are often much more yellow than the females, have yellow hairs on top of the head, a thick yellow collar on the thorax and several thin yellow stripes on the abdomen, and a white tail. Some specimens, however, are darker and more like the females.

Bombus hortorum

Garden bumblebee

This is quite common in gardens, though far from confined to them, always feeding on deep flowers, such a honeysuckle or foxglove.
  • Queens are distinguished from the similar White-tailed bumblebee (B.lucorum), by having three yellow bands, a band at the front and another at the rear of the thorax, and a third band at the top of the abdomen. They are also a very different shape, a very long face and long body. The hairs of the pollen basket are black.
  • Workers and males are similar to the queens but smaller

Bombus jonellus

Heath bumblebee

As the name suggests, this is a bee of heathland and machair. It resembles the Garden bumblebee (B.hortorum) in that it has three yellow bands, one at the front and one at the back of the thorax, and a third band at the top of the abdomen, but the yellow is much less bright and more straw coloured than in the Garden bumblebee. It also has a shorter face and the pollen baskets are pale, not black. Subspecies on the Western Isles and Shetland have a buff to orange tail, elsewhere it is whitish.
  • Queens, workers and males are similar in colour, but vary greatly in size.

Bombus soroeensis

Broken-banded bumblebee

The distribution of this bee is very uncertain. Its distinguishing features are not always immediate obvious, and it may easily be overlooked. Both thorax and abdomen are rather round. It has a wide yellow collar at the front of the thorax and a second band on the second segment of the abdomen and a white tail.
  • In queens and workers the band on the abdomen is broken in the middle or continues at the sides upon the first segment. However, this is not always obvious, and suspected specimens should be kept and sent in for confirmation. Care must be taken as worn White-tailed bumblebee (B.lucorum) may also show a break in the second yellow band.
  • Males do not show the broken band, but the white of the tail may have a reddish base or even be entirely reddish- brown.