There are 50 species of bumble bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus) in the USA [1]. Twenty of those bumble bees species have been reported in Latah and/or Whitman Counties. We’ve included them all in our list of Palouse bumble bees by county.
Species accounts are from the USDA Bee Pollinator Lab located in Logan, UT [2]. Common and relatively uncommon species to the region are included, as are species not seen for some time. We hope this list will inform and inspire citizen monitors to help us learn more about the bumble bees found in the area.
New sightings or species records are very possible!
Some basic biological information on this group is provided in the accompanying table “Biological Data on Bumble Bees of Latah and Whitman Counties”, along with specific data on nesting preferences, tongue lengths, feeding behavior and season of occurrence. A narrative to accompany this Biological Data file is in development.
Citation:
1. Kearns CA, Thomson JD. 2002. The Natural History of Bumble Bees: A Sourcebook For Investigations. University Press of Colorado.
2. U.S. National Pollinating Insects Database, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Logan, Utah (Accessed in Spring 2012).
Learn more!
See pictures of the bumble bees of Latah and Whitman Counties
