Species Bombus auricomus - Black-and-gold Bumble Bee

Often cited as Black and Gold Bumble Bee, but use of a hyphen is generally preferred when citing common names (see AOU and BOU bird checklists, e.g., Black-and-white Warbler).

some workers treat B. nevadensis and B. auricomus as conspecific, but most recent sources treat them separately (discussion)

Bombus auricomus (Robertson 1903)

Large: queen 20-25 mm, male 17-20 mm, worker 18-20 mm

Mullerian mimic of B. pensylvanicus. Note the following:

See detailed descriptions

Males with large eyes strongly convergent above and modified antennae.

This species is variable in hair color with dark females readily confused with B. pensylvanicus and pale ones with B. nevadensis.

North America east of the Rocky Mountains (map). Widely distributed in the eastern USA but no records from northern New England (unrecorded from ME, VT, and also RI) or from lowlands of the southeastern coastal plain (no confirmed records from SC, though likely occurs there at higher elevations, or from MS and FL. Recorded from all central states except LA and in eastern MT, WY, and CO (replaced in the west of those states by B. nevadensis). In Canada restricted to the south where known from southern Ontario. It may occur west at least to Manitoba, but its distributional limits to the west has been obscured by convergence in color pattern with B. nevadensis). Distributional summary by John S. Ascher (Feb 2014).

Favors prairies and grasslands and rarely found in extensive forests.

A late-emerging species

Has likely declined in northeastern North America due in part to regrowth of forests and decrease in grassland habitat