Yellowbanded Bumble Bee (Bombus terricola)

Overview

Overview

Yellowbanded Bumble Bee (Bombus terricola), a Federal Species of Concern and a Wisconsin State Special Concern bee is found in wooded and wetland areas. It is a ground nesting bee that often uses abandoned rodent burrows as nests. Wisconsin has several recent observation records from northern and central counties. Older records are found scattered throughout the state. In Wisconsin, observation records have mostly been made between May and September. Range-wide, bees are active April - September. Nectar plants include Asters, Crocus, Eupatorium (Joe-pye weed), Monarda (bee balms), Ribes (gooseberry/currants), Rosa (Roses), Rubus (blackberry), Salix (Willows), Solidago (goldenrods), Spirea (meadowsweet), Taraxacum (dandelion), and Vaccinium (blueberry).

Due to the drastic population declines since the mid-1990s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was petitioned and is currently reviewing the status of the yellowbanded bumble bee [exit DNR].

State status

Status and Natural Heritage Inventory documented occurrences in Wisconsin

The table below provides information about the protected status - both state and federal - and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Yellowbanded Bumble Bee (Bombus terricola). See the Working List Key for more information about abbreviations. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. The map is provided as a general reference of where occurrences of this species meet NHI data standards and is not meant as a comprehensive map of all observations.

Note: Species recently added to the NHI Working List may temporarily have blank occurrence maps.

Species guidance

A guidance document is not available at this time. Use the information from the other tabs and contact local biologists, as needed, to develop management and avoidance strategies.

Other resources

Links to additional Yellowbanded Bumble Bee information

• Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade Species Profile [exit DNR]
• USFWS Species Profile [exit DNR]
• USFWS Midwest Species Information [exit DNR]
• Bumble Bee Watch Species Profile [exit DNR]
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Biology [exit DNR]

Other links related to ants, wasps, and bees

• NatureServe Explorer
• Xerces Society - Learn About Bumble Bees [exit DNR]
• Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade - Citizen Based Monitoring [exit DNR]
• USDA Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership - Bumble Bees of the Eastern U.S. [exit DNR]
• UW Entomology - Bumble Bees of Wisconsin [exit DNR]
• Discover Life - Bumbe Bee ID Guide [exit DNR]

Photos/Video

Photos

Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating a photo to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use

Wildlife Action Plan

Natural community (habitat) associations

The table below lists the natural communities that are associated with Yellowbanded Bumble Bee. Only natural communities for which Yellowbanded Bumble Bee is "high" (score=3) or "moderate" (score=2) associated are shown. See the key to association scores for complete definitions. Please see the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.

Ecological landscape associations

The table below lists the ecological landscape association scores for Yellowbanded Bumble Bee. The scores correspond to the map (3=High, 2=Moderate, 1=Low, 0=None). For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.

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Landscape-Community combinations of highest ecological priority*

Ecological priorities are the combinations of natural communities and ecological landscapes that provide Wisconsin's best opportunities to conserve important habitats for a given Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The 10 highest scoring combinations are considered ecological priorities and are listed below. More than 10 combinations are listed if multiple combinations tied for 10th place. For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.

* Ecological priority score is a relative measure that is not meant for comparison between species. This score does not consider socio-economical factors that may dictate protection and/or management priorities differently than those determined solely by ecological analysis. Further, a low ecological priority score does not imply that management or preservation should not occur on a site if there are important reasons for doing so locally.

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Issues/threats and conservation actions

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.

Threats/issues and conservations actions for rare animals

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