Grass bumblebee
| Grass bumblebee | ||||||||||||
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Grass bumblebee ( Bombus ruderarius ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Bombus ruderarius | ||||||||||||
| ( OV Müller , 1776) |
The grass bumblebee ( Bombus ruderarius ) is a type of bumblebee ( Bombus ).
Habitat and Distribution
The grass bumblebee is a widespread species found all over Europe (except in the far north). In southern Europe it prefers higher altitudes up to 2200 m. In Germany, it can be found in the entire area, where it populates the open plains as well as garden and park landscapes.
From mid-April, the queens usually create a nesting ball above ground from material they have collected themselves, such as dry grass, leaves and / or moss. If they do not find a suitable place above ground, they also nest underground. It is therefore usually referred to as a nest builder. The first workers hatch in early May. From this point on, the queen no longer leaves the nest and begins to lay eggs at ever shorter intervals. The further expansion of the nest and the procurement of food are now taken over by the workers. The first young queens and drones will fly out at the end of July.
The people reach a size between 50 and 100 individuals.
Mark
Grass bumblebees are reddish-yellow or orange in color from the 4th to 6th tergite , the rest are black. Because of this, confusion with small stone bumblebees or meadow bumblebees is possible. Another color variant can be a thin, white cross band on the thorax near the head , which extends to the base of the wings. The queen makes a high-pitched humming sound.
The queens are 16 to 18 mm long, the workers 9 to 18 mm and the drones 12 to 14 mm. Like most pocket makers, grass bumblebees have a long trunk.
food
Like all bumblebees, it feeds on nectar and pollen. In order to get to her main ornamental plants, which include clover , comfrey , tufts and sweet peas , she flies up to two kilometers.
Danger
The grass bumblebee is suffering from the intensification of agriculture (use of pesticides, land consolidation, etc.) and is listed in Germany in the Red List of Endangered Species of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) under category 3 “endangered” .
literature
- Eberhard von Hagen: Bumblebees: determine, settle, multiply, protect . Natur-Verl., Augsburg 1990, ISBN 3-89440-546-5
Web links
swell
- Eberhard von Hagen: Bumblebees: determine, settle, multiply, protect . P. 232
- Grass bumblebees at wildbienen.de
- Grass bumblebees at bombus.de