Photo: Ivar Leidus / CC BY-SA 4.0

Bombus cryptarum

Cryptic Bumblebee

A large bumblebee belonging to the Bombus lucorum complex, from which it was separated on the basis of genetic and chemical characters. It has a black body, two yellow bands (one on the thorax, one on the abdomen), and a white tail — extremely similar to B. lucorum. In northern areas it lives in heathland and moorland; in southern Europe it occurs in mountain habitats. In Switzerland it is part of the cryptic species complex and occurs in both lowland and alpine regions, often sympatric with Bombus lucorum and Bombus terrestris. It is a generalist forager visiting a wide range of flowers and nests underground in abandoned rodent burrows. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).