| Bombus californicus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Tribe: | Bombini |
| Genus: | Bombus |
| Subgenus: | Thoracobombus |
| Species: | B. californicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Bombus californicus Smith, 1854 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Bombus californicus, the California bumble bee, is a species of bumble bee in the family Apidae. Bombus californicus is in the subgenus Thoracobombus. [1] It is found in Central America and the western half of North America. [2] [3] [4] Bombus californicus is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. [5]
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In a 2015 study, Bombus californicus was found to be endangered in 62% of surveyed areas. [6]
Bombus californicus can exhibit multiple possible color patterns of yellow and black, as in its sister species Bombus fervidus , and in many areas of geographic overlap, at least a small percentage of individuals of the two species cannot be recognized except by genetic analysis, as each species can sometimes display the color pattern typical of the other. [1] The "typical" color pattern of female californicus is black with only a single strong yellow band anteriorly on the thorax, and another single yellow band near the apex of the abdomen; males exhibit considerably more variation. [1]
Bombus californicus nests in the ground, [7] in wooded areas, [1] and in urban areas. [8] Queens emerge from April through the middle of July. [9] Workers are present from April to September. [9] Males (drones) are present late May through September. [9] This type of bumblebee pollinates sage, [10] blueberry bushes, red clover, [7] California poppies, [4] and many other species of flowers. [11]
