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White-tailed Bumblebee · Field Guide · Things With Wings

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White-tailed Bumblebee

Bombus lucorum

Not yet photographed by the community

Yellow-banded with clean white tail.

Species Profile

Green List (Least Concern); common and widespread with stable populations

Lifespan: Queens live 1–2 years; workers live 4–6 weeks; males live a few weeks
Size & Weight: Queens 20–22 mm; workers 14–18 mm; males 15–17 mm
Habitat: Open grasslands, meadows, heathland, gardens, and agricultural margins with abundant wildflowers and clover.
UK Distribution: Widespread throughout the UK, including Scotland, Wales, and northern England; resident species with populations present year-round.
Diet: Adults feed on nectar and pollen from a wide range of flowering plants; larvae are fed regurgitated nectar and pollen by workers.
Predators: Robber flies, Asian hornets (in localised areas), and parasitic flies; nests also raided by badgers and other mammals.
Mating Season: July to September
Breeding: Queens produce a single annual colony of 50–400 workers; eggs hatch in 3 days, larvae pupate after 10–14 days; new queens and males emerge in late summer.
Behaviour: Highly social, living in colonies with a clear worker-queen hierarchy. Workers communicate through waggle dances and pheromones to signal flower locations. Queens are semi-claustrine, remaining in the nest to lay eggs while workers forage.

Sources and editorial status

The short identification summary comes from the Things With Wings species catalogue. The extended species profile is AI-assisted and has not been individually reviewed by a wildlife expert, so verify important identification or conservation details with the specialist sources below.

Profile generated 22 June 2026

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