Bees display a remarkable array of forms and colors. While the familiar yellow and black honey bee is widely recognized, many species exhibit distinct black and white markings. These colorations often serve various purposes, from camouflage to signaling.
Notable Black and White Bee Species
The American Bumblebee, Bombus pensylvanicus, exemplifies striking black and white patterns. Its thorax typically features yellow bands at the front, while the first abdominal segment can be yellow in the middle. The second and third abdominal segments are often entirely yellow, with the tail section being black. Queens are largely black; workers have yellow middle segments and a black tail.
Another example is the White-tailed Bumblebee, Bombus lucorum, characterized by its primarily black body with two lemon-yellow bands and a distinct white “tail” at the end of its abdomen. Identification can be challenging due to similar species. Workers typically mirror the queen’s appearance, though they are smaller.
The Ashy Mining Bee, Andrena cineraria, presents a unique black and grey/white appearance. Females of this solitary bee species have a glossy black abdomen and two broad bands of light grey hair across their thorax, along with white hairs on their face. Males are generally smaller than females and possess similar, though less pronounced, markings.
Distinguishing Features for Identification
Identifying black and white bees involves observing physical characteristics that differentiate them from other insects. Bees generally possess a robust, often hairy body, which helps them collect pollen. This hairiness contrasts with the smoother, less hairy bodies typically found on wasps.
Examining the wings also aids identification. Bees have four wings, arranged in two pairs, often connected during flight. Wasps, while also having four wings, often have a more constricted “waist” between their thorax and abdomen, a feature less pronounced in most bees. Antennae shape also provides clues; male bumblebees often have longer antennae.
Pollen-carrying structures are another useful indicator. Many bee species, including bumblebees, have specialized corbiculae (pollen baskets) on their hind legs. Other bees, such as mining bees, carry pollen on dense hairs called scopae, located on their legs or underside of the abdomen. Observing these features helps confirm it is a bee.
Habitats and Behaviors of These Bees
Black and white bee species occupy diverse habitats and display varied behaviors based on their social structure and nesting preferences. American Bumblebees, for example, are often found in open fields and farmlands, where they nest on the ground’s surface. Their colonies are annual, with the queen typically dying in the autumn after producing new queens for the following year.
White-tailed Bumblebees are adaptable, found in various environments like gardens, farmlands, and heathlands, often nesting underground in old rodent burrows. These are social bees, living in organized colonies with a queen and worker bees. Their foraging habits are generalist, visiting a wide array of flowers for nectar and pollen.
Ashy Mining Bees, in contrast, are solitary bees, with each female constructing her own nest. They excavate small tunnels in the earth, often creating distinctive volcano-like mounds of soil at the entrance. While solitary, these bees may nest in aggregations, forming groups of individual nests in suitable sunny, open areas with sandy soil. They are active from early spring to early summer, foraging on various spring-flowering plants.