Bumble bees with black wings stand out from their fuzzy, striped counterparts. While most bumble bees have the iconic yellow and black pattern, some species sport swaths of inky black on parts of their body, creating a striking appearance. If you’ve spotted buzzing black bees in your garden, chances are they are a species of bumble bee. Learning to identify them and their unique traits can help you better understand these essential pollinators.
Bumble bees are robust, hairy insects recognized by their large size and distinct buzzing sound There are over 250 species worldwide. They form small colonies, usually housing a few hundred bees at most.
Bumble bees play a vital ecological role through pollination. Their fuzzy bodies pick up and distribute pollen as they move between flowers. Bumble bees pollinate tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, blueberries, cranberries, and more Without them, it would be hard to grow these crops!
What Gives Bumble Bees Their Black Wings?
Like other bees, bumble bees have two pairs of wings used for flight. Their wings are connected to muscles that allow them to flap rapidly, generating the characteristic bumble bee buzz.
The front set of wings on some bumble bee species have sections of dark black pigmentation, This black section can cover over half the wing It gives the bees striking black wings that stand out against the yellow and brown fuzz on their bodies,
Researchers think the black wings help the bees absorb heat from the sun. This allows them to warm up more quickly in the morning when it’s still chilly outside. Their dark wings may also help camouflage the bees against dark flowers they pollinate.
Meet 5 Bumble Bees with Black Wings
Here are a few of the most common bumble bees with black wings that may visit your garden:
1. Black-Winged Bumble Bee (Bombus melanopygus)
This bee lives along the west coast of North America. The female workers have a black head and thorax and a red abdomen with a black tip. About two-thirds of their front wings are black. They nest on the ground in cavities like old rodent burrows.
2. Nevada Bumble Bee (Bombus nevadensis)
These bumble bees have a yellow head and thorax with a black abdomen. The front third of their wings is solid black. They are native to the western United States and pollinate lupines, penstemons, and other wildflowers.
3. Half-Black Bumble Bee (Bombus vagans)
As their name suggests, about half of their front wings are black. These bumble bees have a yellow head and thorax with a black tip on the abdomen. They are common in meadows and grasslands of North America.
4. Red-Belted Bumble Bee (Bombus rufocinctus)
Females of this species have a black head and thorax, red abdomen with a black tip, and almost entirely black wings. They live throughout the central and eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
5. Brown-Belted Bumble Bee (Bombus griseocollis)
These bumble bees have a brown thorax, black abdomen with yellow at the tip, and about half their wings are black. They are native to eastern North America and pollinate blueberries and cranberries.
Tips for Identifying Bumble Bees with Black Wings
Here are a few pointers to help you identify bumble bees with black wings that visit your yard:
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Look at the color pattern on the bee’s body. Match it to bumble bee species that have black-winged individuals.
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Notice if over half of their front wings are black instead of the typical yellow and brown pattern.
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Listen for the loud buzz, which distinguishes them from other bees. Bumble bees beat their wings up to 130 times per second!
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Watch how the bees move between flowers. Bumble bees use what’s called “buzz pollination” to shake pollen loose.
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Check the ground for nest entrances. Some black-winged species nest underground.
Attracting Bumble Bees to Your Garden
You can draw more bumble bees with black wings to your yard by planting flowers they love. Some of their favorites include:
- Penstemons
- Clovers
- Milkweeds
- Asters
- Snapdragons
- Foxgloves
- Tomatoes
- Squash
- Berries
Choosing native plants is best to provide food for bees. Let areas of your yard grow wild to offer nesting habitat. Avoid pesticides that could poison the bees foraging in your garden.
Appreciating the Vital Role of Bumble Bees
Keep an eye out for bumble bees with black wings this summer. Their dark colors make them stand out. Getting to know these unique pollinators can help you appreciate the diversity of bees that call your yard home. If you spot them visiting your flowers, it means your garden is providing excellent habitat for these essential pollinators.
Other bees you may have spotted!
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How to identify bumblebees
In Britain we have around 270 species of bee and of them, 24 are species of bumblebee. Our guide will help you name some of the common bumblebees you see buzzing around our parks and gardens.
Common Carder Bee: The common carder bee is a fluffy, orange and brown bumblebee that sometimes has darker bands on its abdomen. There are a lot of common carder bees in the UK. They come out early in the spring and can be seen eating flowers until November.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
Common Carder Bee ©Rachel Scopes
Early bumblebee: This type of bumblebee is small and has orange antennae and lemon-yellow bands on its chest and abdomen. It is found throughout the UK in all kinds of habitats. It is a small bee and an important pollinator of soft fruit, such as raspberries and blackberries.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
Jon Hawkins – Surrey Hills Photography
Bumblebee tree The tree bumblebee has fuzzy, orange-brown hairs on its chest, a black belly, and a white tail. It can now be found in much of England and Wales and has reached Southern Scotland. Since it lives in open woodland, you can often find it in gardens that have a similar environment.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
Tree bumblebee by Wendy Carter
Red-tailed bumblebee: The female in this species is very big and black, with a big red tail. The males are smaller. It lives in gardens, farmland, the edges of forests, hedgerows, and heaths—anywhere there are flowers for it to eat.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
Red-tailed bumblebee ©Jon Hawkins – Surrey Hills Photography
Garden bumblebee The garden bumblebee is a large, scruffy-looking bee, with a long tongue and face. The collar, the back of the thorax, and the first part of the abdomen all have yellow bands on them. The tip of the tail is white. This bumblebee is pretty big, and you can find it in a lot of places, from gardens to forests.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
Garden bumblebee by Chris Gomersall/2020VISION
Buff-tailed bumblebee The buff-tailed bumblebee has a yellow collar near the head and another on the abdomen. There is a faint buff line running down the middle of the queen’s tail, but not across the middle of the workers’ tails. Males have buff-tinged tails and also have black hair on their faces. Buff-tailed bumblebees are the biggest of the bumblebees and are found in lowland areas.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
Buff-tailed BumbleBee © Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography
White-tailed bumblebee The white-tailed bumblebee is black with two lemon-yellow bands on its body and a white tail. There are several very similar species that can be very difficult to tell apart. For instance, the buff-tailed bumblebee has dull yellow and black bands on its body and a buff-colored tail instead of a bright white one. The white-tailed bumblebee and the garden bumblebee both have a white tail, but the stripes are on the garden bumblebee’s tail are in a different spot. If there are flowers for them to eat, white-tailed bumblebees will be in gardens, farmland, the edges of woods, hedgerows, and heathland.
Illustration by Corinne Welch
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