Photo: Marco Almbauer / CC0 1.0
Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
The Buff-tailed Bumblebee is one of the most common and widespread bumblebees in Switzerland, found from lowland gardens to 1950 m in the Alps. Queens are large with a black body, two yellow bands, and a distinctive buff (brownish-yellow) tail. Colonies can reach several hundred workers and nest underground in abandoned rodent burrows. It is a generalist forager visiting a vast range of flowers and is widely used commercially for greenhouse pollination. In Switzerland it occurs throughout all regions. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).
Species Facts
- Size
- 9-22 mm
- Flight Period
- February to September
- Nesting
- Ground
- Specialization
- Generalist
- Abundance
- Very common
- Family
- Apidae
External Sources
This data has been cross-referenced with national sources:
Data Source & Copyright
| Category | Source / Author | License |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Marco Almbauer | CC0 1.0 |
| Taxonomy & Distribution | InfoFauna Switzerland | Public data |
| Global Distribution | GBIF | CC BY 4.0 |
Data Quality
High Quality Last audit: 2026-05-22
Completeness: 100%
✓Photo exists✓Traits consistent✓Description quality✓Red List referenced✓Attribution verified
Confidence: 83%
IdentifiabilityHighImage confidenceMediumImage qualityHighTrait coherenceHigh
