Identifying the Bumblebee

I've had lots of people ask me how to tell if that black and yellow flying insect they saw was a Bumblebee. It seems there's a lot of confusion about this, since there are other insects, such as the sawfly that bear a striking resemblance to the Bumblebee. Here are some tips to help you make a positive identification.

• Does the insect have a visible waist? If it doesn't, it isn't a Bumblebee.
• Are the antennae (feelers) elbowed? The first segment of the antennae should be very much longer than all of the others and the antennae are often bent at the joint between the long segment and the first short segment.
• Are there 13 or fewer segments in the antennae? This is a telltale sign in identification.
• Is the insect more or less covered in hair of a variety of colours but with the colour of the body underneath the hair always black?
• Is the first tarsal segment broad and covered with hairs?
• Does the hindmost leg have either a flat, shiny pollen basket (females), or a dull, hairy but still flat area instead of a pollen basket (males)?
• Is there a space between the bottom of the eye and the jaw?
• Does it visit flowers to drink nectar with a tongue that is at least 5mm long?
• Is the tongue folded under its body when not drinking nectar?
• Does is make its nest in a ready made space? Bumblebees do not dig their own nest.

Hopefully these tips will help you to make an easier identification and allow you to learn a bit more about the Bumblebee, one of nature's most fascinating creatures.

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