''Bombus rufocinctus'' is a species of

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...

known commonly as the "red-belted bumblebee".NatureServe. 2015
''Bombus rufocinctus''.
NatureServe Explorer Version 7.1. Accessed 10 March 2016. It is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

where it has a wide distribution across Canada and the western, midwestern, and northeastern United States. It may occur in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The queen is 1.6 to 1.8 centimeters long and just under a centimeter wide at the abdomen. It is black with scattered gray and yellowish hairs on the head. The abdomen has many bright yellow hairs and areas of reddish hairs. The worker is 1.1 to 1.2 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen. It is similar to the queen but it may have longer hairs. The male is 1.2 to 1.3 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen. It is mostly black with more yellow on the head and abdomen. This species displays four genetically controlled color polymorphisms: the second and third abdominal terga may have red or black hairs, and the fourth and fifth may be either yellow or black.Owen, R. E., & Plowright, R. C. (1988)
Inheritance of metasomal pile colour variation in the bumble bee ''Bombus rufocinctus'' Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
''Canadian Journal of Zoology'', 66(5), 1172-1178. This small, short-tongued bee lives in and around wooded areas and it can be found in urban parks and gardens. It feeds on several kinds of plants, including chicories, snakeroots,

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

, gumweeds, sunflowers,

goldenrod Goldenrod is a common name for many species of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, commonly in reference to the genus ''Solidago''. Several genera, such as ''Euthamia'', were formerly included in a broader concept of the genu ...

clover Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversit ...

vetches ''Vicia'' is a genus of over 240 species of flowering plants that are part of the legume family (Fabaceae), and which are commonly known as vetches. Member species are native to Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Africa. Some other g ...

, and goldeneyes. It usually nests on or above ground level.

References

External links

''Bombus rufocinctus''.
E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia. University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 10 March 2016. Bumblebees Hymenoptera of North America Insects described in 1863 {{bombus-stub