Bombus lapidarius is a species of bumblebee in the subgenus Melanobombus. Commonly known as the red-tailed bumblebee, B. lapidarius can be found throughout much of Central Europe. Known for its distinctive black and red body, this social bee is important in pollination.
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
B
starts withThe red-tailed bumblebee is typically distinguished by its black body with red markings around the abdomen. Worker females and the queen look similar, though the queen is much larger than the worker females. Males typically have the red and black coloration with a yellow band around the abdomen and yellow markings on the face. Further, B. lapidarius tend to have a medium-sized proboscis, which is significant in that it allows the species to be a good pollinator. These bees do not typically form extensive or complex colonies. Nests usually only contain a few hundred bees at most, with an average colony consisting of about 100 to 200 worker bees.
Bombus lapidarius is found throughout Europe, including Britain and Ireland, as well as parts of Greece, Germany, Sweden and Finland. The species has a fairly wide distribution, typically being found in temperate regions. B. lapidarius nests have been found in many different habitats, but the bees usually prefer open terrain to more heavily forested landscapes. They can fly over 1500 meters to better forage for food.
Red-tailed bumblebees typically eat pollen and nectar. Workers will sometimes attempt to eat the eggs that the queen has laid. The queen makes a valiant effort to prevent this from happening, but the workers are frequently successful in their attempt. Though the queen does not attempt to injure workers engaging in this activity, she does threaten them with her mandible or sometimes hits them with her head. Further study may be required to better understand this behavior.
The bees have been found to move between specific species of flower, but ignore other species that could be equally rewarding. One study showed that these bees will stay at a particular flower or food source longer with increased levels of nectar available. However, the time spent at any particular flower did not change with different levels of pollen.
Red-tailed bumblebee males utilise sexual pheromones to attract females. Males will fly around and mark spots with the pheromone compounds (Z)-9-hexadecenol and hexadecanal via their labial gland. These secretions are highly species-specific, and thus likely greatly reduce inter-species mating. B. lapidarius typically fly and secrete above the treetops, which are more affected by the wind and the sun. Therefore, this species often has to secrete more pheromone than other species to be effective. These compounds have been found in trace amounts in the air around the areas that individuals have scent marked. Different populations in diverse locations (specifically Southern Italy, the Balkans, and Central-Eastern Europe) have experienced genetic differentiation in pheromone composition.
Red-tailed bumblebees rank among the most common and most recognized bumblebees of Central Europe, but rarer species, such as Bombus ruderarius, have a similar appearance.
This species is widespread across Ireland, though some evidence indicates that the species is declining in agricultural grasslands. It is considered Near Threatened in Ireland.
Additionally, it has been suggested that different species of bumblebee understand their surroundings according to different scales. This has important implications for conservation—the differences in species behavior is significant in understanding resource range and differences in foraging areas. Understanding these concepts is vital to conservation and biodiversity. Thus, these bees specifically are very important to agriculture, as they are so important in pollination. Therefore, conservation of B. lapidarius is important to understand.
