Red-tailed Bumblebee

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The name Red-tailed Bumblebee can apply to any of the handful of native bumblebee species with red coloration on the abdomen.

Bombus melanopygus is a common West Coast species that fits that general description.

The picture shows an individual with black and yellow bands below the larger red abdominal band.

While it seems to fit the general Bombus melanopygus species, it is also important to note that two additional species, the Redbelted Bumblebee (Bombus rufocinctus) and Bombus huntii also reside in some West Coast locations.

Bombus mixtus is a West Coast species with the red hairs at the tip of the abdomen.

The Tricolored Bumblebee (Bombus ternarius) is a similar looking red-tailed species with a wide range that includes New England, the Northeast and Upper Midwest.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels