MObugs: Colorado Bugs—-Hunt’s Bumblebee

On a current journey to Colorado we skilled beautiful surroundings, lovely temperatures and little or no bug life. We rented a cabin within the larger elevations which meant cooler temperatures and little or no 6-legged critters scurrying about. We made a number of journeys down the mountain to the decrease elevations and frolicked close to a river referred to as Clear Creek, the place we loved enjoyable close to the speeding water, and within the case of my husband fly-fishing. On one such journey to the river, whereas my husband fished, I discovered quite a few bugs to look at and {photograph}. One such insect was the Hunt’s Bumblebee (Bombus huntsii). I’ve typically seen photos on the Web of the yellow, black and orange furred bumblebees and it turned a objective of mine to someday see one…..and viola there it was proper in entrance of me sleeping inside a cluster of blooms. I coaxed it out gently in order to not be stung and it nonchalantly climbed onto my hand and frolicked with me for fairly awhile, seemingly uncaring an enormous beast now held her of their hand. Such a trusting little fuzz-butt.

 The Hunts Bumblebee may be present in many various habitats, together with prairies, scrubby desert areas, meadows, alongside roadsides, and streams and whilst far up as Mountains and Volcanoes. Though these excessive altitude (above 3,000 ft) lovers are the extra adventurous and tolerant of the species. This is able to not be a typical place to search out them. Alongside the river and foraging on the Nodding Groundsel Flowers gave the impression to be the popular place for this specific bee and a number of other of her buddies, or hive sisters.

With over 3,000 bee species in america alone there isn’t any scarcity of bees, bumblebees within the genus Bombus make up 40 totally different species. They’re most likely probably the most acknowledged and under-appreciated of the bees. They’re sometimes bigger than different species of bees and coated with an extreme quantity of fur that retains them insulated from cooler temperatures permitting them to be lively when most bees are ready for it to heat up. There may be a lot debate, amongst scientists, who debate these kinds of issues, that bumblebees are a lot better at pollinating wildflowers than some other species of bees, together with our industrious honey bee. 

This species happens all through Western North American, together with Canada and components of Mexico. They’re most lively in the course of the summer season and early fall and are thought of frequent of their vary. Though there may be some indication their numbers are declining, which can be attributed to habitat loss and fewer flowers to assemble pollen and nectar. They aren’t giant by bumblebee requirements, the place the Jap Widespread Bumblebee could attain lengths over an inch, this species is extra common in dimension at a modest 1/2 inch with queens barely bigger at roughly 3/4 of an inch.

 Like virtually all bumblebees, they nest underground or hidden away from predators. A bred queen wakes up from hibernation with one factor on her thoughts, discover a house and lay eggs! She’s going to find an deserted rodent burrow, wooden pile, hay pile or space close to the muse of a constructing the place she is going to arrange home. First job is to create a small honey pot that she is going to fill with pollen to feed her future brood. As soon as she has collected loads of provisions she is going to lay eggs instantly on the mound of pollen and place her physique over the eggs to incubate and defend them. She’s going to solely depart the nest, at this level, to assemble extra provisions, if wanted.

 In about 4 weeks the new child bees start showing and their job shall be to scrub the hive, collect pollen and nectar and maintain the larvae. The queens solely job at this level is to put eggs and develop the hive. Whereas a hive could attain a whole bunch of people, it’s extra frequent to have roughly 100-200 members. Within the late summer season adults will emerge which might be males, and virgin females. These future queens will take their maiden flight in search of males. As soon as mated, the males die and the brand new queens forage for meals till it’s time to dig a small chamber that acts as a hibernacula which protects her from the cruel winter climate. Within the spring the cycle begins another time.

The colours on the Hunts Bumblebee are stunningly beautiful and I’m so comfortable to mark this one off my lifer record of bugs. This was such a candy encounter with the ever humble, bumblebee.