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| Bombus variabilis, Colorado's rarest bumble bee |
Bumble bees have long fascinated humankind, at least since Carl Linneaus described six species in 1758 (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). Bumble bees are effective pollinators in urban, natural, and agricultural systems.The genus Bombus includes 250 bumble bee species worldwide, with 46 species present in North America, north of Mexico. Half of these—24 species total—occur in Colorado.
While there is a good deal of information on bumble bees available, Colorado is positioned in such a way that very few of the guides cover all the species that occur here. Also, many bumble bees vary in coloration across their entire range, so color patterns that do not occur in Colorado are in guides and can be confusing.
The Bumble Bees of Colorado: A Pictorial Identification and Information Guide (Wright, Boyd, Bowers and Scott, 2017) is a comprehensive guide to Colorado's bumble bee population. The goal of the guide is to provide a resource for those looking to learn more about Colorado’s bumble bees. This work is intended as a primer to engage a broad, general audience so that students, naturalists, gardeners, conservation managers, and field biologists can gain a basic understanding of Colorado’s bumble bee fauna.
It is not intended as a technical guide, but rather as a local guide to the state’s bumble bees. In the guide, identification is based on color pattern, which is not always enough to ensure accurate species level identification, however, you will generally be able to narrow down your identification to one or a very few species. The authors recommend you start with the color plates on pages 60-63 or the handy guide for quick separation of species on page 59. From there, if you look up the information on the species account pages, paying close attention to county maps, elevations, and the similar species sections, you will likely come up with the correct species.
Here's the link to download the guide: Bumble Bees of Colorado: A Pictorial Identification and Information Guide.