Bombus dahlbomii l Endangered Bumblebee

Bombus dahlbomii Facts

Impressively, the magnificent Bombus dahlbomii easily ranks as one of the largest bees known to man. Due to its great size, along with its appearance, it has unique nickname, however. Some people refer to individuals as flying mice.
Quite unfortunately, though, the creature now finds itself in great danger of extinction. This seems to occur due to a specific combination of reasons. Not surprisingly, given these factors, the IUCN now lists the arthropod as Endangered.
Firstly, its known population numbers began to drastically decline following the introduction of two invasive species. Somewhat surprisingly, though, both of those species are actually other types of bumblebee.
Not only that, but the population of the Bombus dahlbomii has also been greatly impacted by a particularly effective pathogen. This same threat was also introduced into its population by one of the two invasive bumblebee species.

Shrill Carder Bee, Bombus sylvarum — Shrill Carder Bee

Golden Northern Bumblebee, Bombus fervidus — Shrill Carder Bee

Bombus dahlbomii Physical Description

The predominant coloring of the Bombus dahlbomii remains quite striking. That’s because it primarily displays a reddish-orange color. But its abdomen typically shows a somewhat lighter shade of the same hue. Meanwhile, the wing, leg, and head area show black.

Much like related bees, that abdomen also has a rounded tip to it. It further has comparatively short antennae. The majority of the remarkable body even body has a dense covering of relatively long bristles. It therefore has a quite furry appearance.

The sheer size of this remarkable insect, though, easily remains its most notable characteristic, hence the nickname. This holds true because mature queens measure an astonishing 1.6 in (4 cm) in total length, which is an enormous measurement for its kind.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Bombus
Species: B. dahlbomii

Bombus dahlbomii Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology

Quite unfortunately, the Bombus dahlbomii has a somewhat restricted native habitat range. To man’s knowledge, it only lives in a small portion of South America. More precisely, this area only covers Patagonia, in the southern sections of Argentina and Chile.

Even there, however, the fascinating bee only inhabits a specific environment. That further consists of the many temperate forests in the region. That’s due to the fact that it remains highly dependent on the flowering plants of the region.

Like many related invertebrates, the fascinating Bombus dahlbomii lives as a colonial insect. The colonies of this particular insect, however, rarely become as large as some others. Typically, these consist of one queen and roughly 100 workers.

Just as other types of bee, this species feeds on the nectar and pollen of various plants. But, this species prefers to keep its foraging patterns small, which does set it apart somewhat. It only forages long distances when local resources are scarce.