Golden Northern Bumble Bee

Appearance

"Bombus fervidus" is on average 13–16 mm long. However, there are slight differences in morphology between queens, workers, and drones.

The first four abdominal tergites are yellow. The occiput and face are black, and have yellow pleurae extending to or nearly to the bases of the legs. "A" black band is present between the base of wings. The wings are dark to dark grey colored. The hairs are thick. "B. fervidus" is long-tongued and therefore specializes on flowers with long corollas. "B. fervidus" use long tongues to extract nectar and pollen from longer flowers. Males have slightly more yellow on their abdomen, and are difficult to distinguish from "B. pensylvanicus". Males have a wingspan of 22 mm while female workers have a wingspan of 40 mm. The sexes are colored or patterned differently; the male is more colorful.

It is similar in color and range to the American bumblebee.

Distribution

"Bombus fervidus" is commonly found in northern New England. Populations can also be found throughout northern portions of Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina, as well as the northern part of the United States. Its nests are not easily found, and are often formed inside the open space of abandoned wild beehives. "B. fervidus" is native to Canada, Mexico and continental United States.

Status

Like most bumblebees, "Bombus fervidus" is in decline and in need of protection. Abundance declines have been observed across most of North America; the most apparent threat is the loss of its preferred grassland and tallgrass habitats to agricultural intensification. It is currently classified as vulnerable by the IUCN.

Behavior

"Bombus fervidus" workers are able to feed both the queen and the developing brood by chewing/mixing pollen and saliva. In order to have enough of this food, "B. fervidus" spend a lot of time foraging for pollen and nectar, pollinating flowers in the process. Thus they have an important role in the ecosystem.

When a new worker bumblebee emerges from its cocoon, it takes care of the queen and her eggs. Although the queen started the colony on her own, new workers will accommodate the growth of the colony by adding dead grass to the nest. If the population grows too big, newly emerged queens may arise that must leave the nest early or even be killed by other workers before they mate.

Because males have a purely reproductive process in the nest, they will often leave the nest. They live independently until the fall, when they mate and then die. Unlike honeybees, "Bombus fervidus" does not communicate by dancing. The bumblebee colony instead relies on individual foraging strategies, as their habitats mostly do not offer food sources that can efficiently be exploited by more than one worker.

Habitat

The species prefers temperate savanna, grassland and tall grass biomes, and readily coexists with suburban or agricultural developments. It is common in grazing farmlands.

Reproduction

Male bumblebees, also known as drones, have a purely reproductive purpose. In the fall, males and newly hatched queens mate before the weather cools. Each future queen mates only once and stores the sperm for the remainder of her life, using it to produce all the subsequent female progeny.

After mating, young queens hibernate underground until the spring while all the other bees will die. The queens then emerge from hibernation and feed on pollen and nectar until they can lay their first brood of 8 to 10 eggs. Before laying the eggs, they build a nest out of grass and deposit honey into a wax honey pot that she made. They make and deposit honey in the honey pot after collecting enough pollen.

Breeding occurs in the summer months. Most workers live for a brief period of time due to the intensity of their work, while queens live for 12 months on average. "B. fervidus" workers are responsible for making the honey that the queen and developing brood eat. The workers chew pollen and mix it with their saliva to make the honey. Since they need ample pollen for honey, workers spend a lot of time foraging for nectar and pollen, simultaneously pollinating flowers. When a worker emerges from its cocoon, it will devote most of its time toward developing the brood and consequently building a larger nest out of grass to accommodate the growing colony. If the colony grows too big, then new queens are sometimes killed before it is time for them to mate. Males have a purely reproductive purpose in the nest.

Breeding interval: Single queen lives for one season and produces offspring throughout.
Breeding season: occurs in the summer months.
Average age at reproductive maturity for queen: 1 year.
Average lifespan: 12 months.

Most "B. fervidus" do not live for more than a few months due to the toll hard work takes on the body and harsh winter weather. Only the queens live for approximately one year.

Food

"Bombus fervidus" is a nectavore, meaning it mostly acquires nutrients from the sugar-rich nectar of flowering plants. Brood are fed on pollen. Deriving food from flowers pollinates them, so this bee is part of a bee-plant mutualism. The long tongue of "B. fervidus" enables the bee to reach into longer deeper flowers, extracting the nectar before another competitor does. This suggests an evolutionary selective pressure for long tongues in "B. fervidus". They are also very effective workers, and their quickness can sometimes be harmful to their health. "B. fervidus" sometimes work for so long at such a rapid pace that is common for them to die from exhaustion. Additionally, adult bees chew pollen and mix it with their saliva to produce honey. This enriched honey is then used to feed the larvae and the queen. The efficiency of "B. fervidus" means it has the ability to grow to very large populations.

Primary Diet: herbivore
Plant Foods: nectar, pollen

Species of plants visited: aster, black-eyed Susan, common milkweed, Queen Anne's lace, dandelions, bull thistle, goldenrod, jewelweed, devil's beggartick, Joe-pye weed, climbing bittersweet, black willow, yellow poplar, American holly, ragweed, greater bladderwort, blueberry, jimsonweed, honeysuckle, rose mallow.