''Bombus melanopygus'', the black-tailed bumble bee, black tail bumble beeHatfield, R., et al. 2014
''Bombus melanopygus''.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 04 March 2016. or orange-rumped bumblebee, is a species of

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...

native to western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. This bee is widely distributed across western North America, from the Pacific to the Rocky Mountains, and from Alaska to Baja California. There are two forms of the black-tailed bumblebee: * Red form (“red butts,” ''Bombus melanopygus melanopygus'') found primarily in higher latitudes of Oregon and points north, and in the

Mountain West The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations o ...

* Dark color form (''Bombus melanopygus edwardsii'') is most common in California and southern Oregon (The second and third abdominal segments are red in northern populations and black in southern; individuals with black segments were previously known as ''Bombus edwardsii'', a separate species. Genetic analyses support the conclusion that the two forms are the same species, with ''B. edwardsii'' as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

.) This bumblebee can utilize a number of habitat types, including agricultural and urban areas. It is "one of the few bumblebees still found regularly in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

". It feeds on many types of plants, including manzanitas,

Ceanothus ''Ceanothus'' is a genus of about 50–60 species of Actinorhizal plant, nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush, California lilac, soap bush, or just ceano ...

, goldenbushes, wild buckwheats, lupines, penstemons,

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

sages A sage ( grc, σοφός, ''sophos''), in classical philosophy, is someone who has attained wisdom. The term has also been used interchangeably with a 'good person' ( grc, ἀγαθός, ''agathos''), and a 'virtuous person' ( grc, σπουδα� ...

, and

clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

s. It nests underground or aboveground in structures. This species is a host to the zombie fly (''Apocephalus borealis'').''Apocephalus borealis''.
Featured Creatures. University of Florida IFAS. Publication Number EENY-605. October 2014.

References

External links

* Bumblebees Hymenoptera of North America Fauna of the Western United States Insects described in 1848 Taxa named by William Nylander (botanist) {{bombus-stub