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Photo#122011
Bombus - Bombus vandykei - male
Copyright © 2007 Hartmut Wisch

Bombus - Bombus vandykei - Male
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA
June 26, 2007
A relatively small bumble bee, in a thistle Cirsium sp.

Images of this individual: tag all
Bombus - Bombus vandykei - male Bombus - Bombus vandykei Bombus - Bombus vandykei
Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 26 June, 2007 - 8:50pm
Last updated 11 November, 2009 - 8:38pm

Moved
Moved from Bumble Bees.
… John S. Ascher, 11 November, 2009 - 8:38pm

I would guess
it's a male Bombus vandykei.
… Domingo Zungri, 27 June, 2007 - 11:43am

 
Thanks, Domingo,
and I think its probably so. Though I can't see most of the characters called for in the key by Thorp, Horning, & Dunning (Calif. Insect Survey , vol.23. 1983), the authors state that B. vandykei "males differ from all Pyrobombus in having the first four metasomal tergites covered with yellow hair". This is so in the present bumble bee, and there's a record for Claremont, L.A. County.
Nevertheless, I'd like to wait until someone else (i.e. John Ascher) comments on this insect.
… Hartmut Wisch, 28 June, 2007 - 12:49am

 
the ID looks good
-
… John S. Ascher, 11 November, 2009 - 8:37pm

 
Thanks, John -
for confirming!
… Hartmut Wisch, 11 November, 2009 - 10:50pm

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