Other Common Names
Often cited as Brownbelted Bumble Bee, but use of a hyphen is generally preferred when citing common names (see AOU and BOU bird checklists).
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Bombus griseocollis (DeGeer)
Orig. Comb: Apis griseocollis DeGeer 1773
Syns: Bombus separatus and Bombus mormonorum.
Explanation of Names
The common name refers to the brown belt on T2.
Size
queen: body length 21-23 mm. Notably large.
male: 15-19 mm
worker: 9.5-18 mm
Identification
Diagnostic characters include black wings, black head, low position of ocelli, short dense hairs on thorax, and belt of contrasting brown hairs at base of T2. Males have large eyes. See detailed description of queen and male at
discoverlife.org
Tongue length: medium
Habitat
Broad, including urban parks.
Season
mostly: Apr-Sept (BG data)
Food
Partial to coneflowers (Echinacea) and other composites. The Hosts section of its
Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images.
Life Cycle
Emerges rather early in spring. Ceases activity much earlier in the fall than does B. impatiens.
Remarks
After B. impatiens often the second most commonly encountered bumble bee at many sites in the eastern United States. However, it becomes relatively scarce northwards, as at Ithaca.
Internet References
Common name reference; PDF doc (Committee on Common Names of Insects, Entomological Society of America)
Discover Life. Live and pinned adult images