zelus luridus , also known as the pale green assassin bug , is a species of assassin bug native to north america .

it is the most common zelus species in the eastern united states .

the size ranges from twelve and a half to eighteen millimeters long .

on average , adult females are sixteen millimeters long , while males are fourteen millimeters long .

though the base color is pale green , markings on the back can range from dark brown or red to bright yellow .

nymphs are generally more solid green , wingless , and with narrower bodies than adults .

the most reliable feature to distinguish this species from others is the pair of spines on the rear corners of the pronotum .

these spines are long on the lighter colored individuals and shorter on ones that are darker .

it can also be distinguished by dark bands on the distal ends of the femurs , but these can often be too light to be easily seen .

the egg masses , which are laid from late june to august , are conical in shape with a flat top .

they are laid on leaves in groups of twenty to fifty and held together with a sticky , brownish material .

like many other assassin bugs , zelus luridus preys on other insects .

it will often wait on leaves to ambush passing insects , but occasionally it also actively hunts .

for this , it uses sticky traps , a common predation strategy to species within the genus zelus .

the sticky material is produced by a gland on the leg .

this gland develops in the second instar .

during the first instar , the nymphs use secretions deposited over the egg batch by the female as the source of their sticky material .

zelus luridus

this is an assassin bug in the genus zelus . moving to that guide page . update : z . luridus is the species .
i found a zelus renardii nymph crawling on my bed on the second story . is there a chance that it emerged from eggs laid in my house ? also , what do zelus renardii nymphs eat ?
there are at least two generations annually here along the front range in colorado , probably three or more generations in southerly latitudes . i notice nymphs of z . luridus in spring , so it is likely that winter is passed in the egg stage .
there are currently five recognized species of zelus north of mexico , most with wide geographic distributions . few are readily identifiable to species just by looking at them , but common ones include : the lovely green zelus luridus with a sharp spine on either side of its thorax ; the bright red and black milkweed assassin bug , z . longipes found in the southeast u . s . ; and the non - descript z . tetracanthus with its four small
knobs
across the top of its thorax . the leafhopper assassin bug , z . renardii , is common in the southwest u . s . and has been entertained as a potential biocontrol agent for pest reduction in agricultural settings .
genus zelus fabricius in the united states , canada , and northern mexico ( hemiptera : reduviidae ) hart e . r . 1986 . ann . ent . soc . am . 79 : 535 - 548 .
assassin bugs in general are indiscriminate predators of other insects , and zelus is no exception . so , while they will dine on leafhoppers , small caterpillars , and other pests , they will also capture beneficial insects such as small bees .
zelus species range from 14 - 21 millimeters in body length as adults , and are relatively easy to recognize with their slender build , long legs and antennae , and diurnal period of activity . they are largely arboreal , so you will find them mostly on foliage and flowers of trees , shrubs , and herbs .
this is a zelus luridus - or pale green assassin bug . i believe this is an immature one . being
true bugs
, the babies of these insects look like small versions of the adults - without wings . most insects go through different stages - egg , nymph , pupa , before appearing as an adult that most of us recognize . true bugs grow into adulthood without going through these changes . in addition they eat the same food as the adults ( unlike insects like butterflies , whose babies ( ( caterpillars ) ) eat leaves ) . here is an explanation of these processes : urltoken and here is information about the little bugger who bit your child : urltoken i hope this is helpful . please contact aae again if you have further questions .
your garden is full of amazing predators , easily overlooked among the foliage and flowers . no matter where you live in the u . s . and southern canada , save perhaps for the northern rocky mountains , you probably have sundew assassin bugs of the genus zelus lurking in the yard . these leggy insects move slowly about , or wait in ambush for potential prey .
eric , any idea how long it takes for zelus eggs to hatch ? i collected and kept a female z . renardii in a small jar for a few days and then let it go . while in the jar , she laid eggs that i did not notice . after what seemed like just a few days i noticed the nymphs crawling all over in the jar .
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is apple green , and markings on the back may be very dark or rather light . the legs sometimes have dark or red bands on the distal ends of the femurs , but these can often be so light as to be almost invisible . when i ' ve seen mating pairs , the males tend to be the darker ones , with the more pronounced red leg bands .
, which are rather long on the light colored individuals and shorter on the dark .
e na to rockies ( qc - fl to mb - wy - se . az ) / mex .
1 . eggs . 2 . newly hatched nymphs . 3 . first instar nymphs . 4 . older nymph . 5 . adult
how to know the true bugs slater , james a . , and baranowski , richard m . 1978 . wm . c . brown company .
contributed by eric r . eaton on 28 september , 2006 - 3 : 20pm additional contributions by cotinis , hannah nendick - mason , beatriz moisset , bbarnd , mike quinn , v belov last updated 15 december , 2017 - 3 : 34pm
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contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content . click the contributor ' s name for licensing and usage information . everything else copyright © 2003 - 2018 iowa state university , unless otherwise noted .
this is a dead bug , since my wife put it in the sun . when it was alive , it was mostly green with a sort of long chevron shaped mark ( with the apex toward the head ) on it ' s back ( wings ) . it ' s about 5 / 8
long not including the front legs . i found it in the kitchen when it landed on my wife in the evening . she said she found another one in her car a day or two later . it ' s possible that we picked them up while camping at summersville lake , w . va . a week earlier . i was trying to be nice to the bug . instead of killing it , i began to carry it outside between my fingers . the little b _ _ _ _ _ _ bit or stung me on the tip of my ring finger . i ' m not sure it ' s related , but i ' ve had an aching feeling in that arm since about a day afterward .
before it dried out , did it look something like this ? urltoken - - t . carter ross
nope . it was mostly green , didn ' t have all that red . i ' ve found there are at least 3 , 000 species of assassin bug .
they have piercing sucking mouthparts so its more of a stab than a bite . when i was a kid i made the same mistake with a wheel bug that patrick mentioned and it seemed much worse than any bee or wasp sting .
thanks for the comment . i too thought it seemed to have a sucking mouth apparatus similar to that of a fly .
this is an assassin bug , family reduvidae . they do bite in self defense , as well as being predatory on other insects , and some of them can inflict a fairly painful stab . the wheel bug , a large gray species , is infamous for inflicting painful wounds . i have a trick for removing insects and spiders from my house without killing them : i coax them into a large plastic cup laid on its side , say , with a wisk broom or a piece of paper . i then carry them outside in the cup . most things cannot climb the walls of the cup , so i know i won ' t get bitten or stung . again , assassin bugs are just about the only
true bugs
that do bite . patrick coin durham , north carolina
thanks for the name and comment . i ' ve used a similar method , putting a cup or glass over the bug and then sliding paper between the cup and the surface , for wasps and hornets , but this guy appeared so harmless . i won ' t assume that again !
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photographed at the turtle river state park , north dakota ( 20 june 2011 ) .
all about insects , spiders , and other arthropods , focusing on north america north of mexico .
sundew assassins get their common name from the unique physiology that allows them to catch prey . while ambush bugs have extremely muscular front legs that snap shut on prey with stunning force , sundew assassins look like the 90 - pound weakling by comparison . their appendages are thin and seemingly delicate or flimsy . the tibiae (
shins
) of the front legs ( and to some degree the middle legs ) are densely covered in short hairs , and this is part of their secret weapon .
special glands in the exoskeleton of the legs secrete a glue - like material that that the insect intentionally smears over those hairs . this creates a sticky layer that small prey cannot escape from once the assassin grabs them . the prey - catching scenario is analogous to the insect - eating plant known as the sundew , which inspires the name
sundew assassin bugs .
when they hatch from the egg , nymphs do not have the ability to produce the glue they need . no matter , mom has covered the egg cluster in sticky goo to help repel egg parasites like tiny wasps , and the nymphs simply wipe their
arms
along the base of the egg mass to gather some glue ( weirauch , 2006 ) .
nymphs go through five instars ( an instar is the interval between molts ) on their way to adulthood . they are noticeably larger after each molt , with wing pads evident in the last couple of stages .
the egg mass reminds me of a tiny crème brûlée , but perhaps i need to eat lunch and return to finish this post later . . . . i was delighted to stumble upon a couple of egg masses in the act of hatching at the cheyenne mountain zoo here in colorado springs back on july 21 . it seems remarkable that such long - legged creatures could be packaged in such small vessels .
despite our tendency to classify insects as
good
or
bad
for our own selfish reasons , sundew assassin bugs should be welcomed for the benefits they provide in occasional pest control , and their unique behavior and
personality ,
if i dare use that word for an invertebrate .
sources : > valerie . 2014 .
reduviidae ~ assassin bugs ,
austin bug collection .
19 , zugleich kataloge der oö . landesmuseen neue serie 50 ( 2006 ) , 1169 - 1180 .
wolf , klaus werner and walton reid . 2001 .
surface morphology of legs in the assassin bug
you ' re welcome , ron ! yes , assassin bugs in general can give a painful bite in self - defense . the worst bite i ' ve ever experienced was from another kind of reduviid .
i do not know the answer to that . i suspect it varies a bit , from species to species and region to region , but i imagine it takes a week or two for the eggs to hatch .
just saw what i thought are my first samples of this species after more than 20 years in this area but saw two on the same day . funny how that works .
not likely that eggs were laid indoors . could have fallen off a tree , been blown in . . . . nymphs feed on any insect they can overpower .
that is a medical question and i am unqualified to answer it . seek a physician if you experience symptoms out of proportion to the bite ( beyond normal localized pain , inflammation ) .
is this ok to have as a pet my son caught one and we thought it was a baby mantis . it just shed and we have been giving it ants to eat or should we just let it go ?
yes , it is fine to keep as a pet , but don ' t feed it ants , especially after it has just molted . ants can kill it ! feed it aphids , leafhoppers , and other small insects that cannot bite or otherwise defend themselves easily .
i found one in my kitchen , i think , but it doesn ' t have any wings . it looks like the pictures though . is it possible that it is one ?
quite possible indeed . nymphs , which are probably already evident in southern latitudes by now , do not have wings .
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is a large cosmopolitan family of about 7000 species of predatory insects in the suborder heteroptera . it includes assassin bugs ( genera :
adult assassin bugs range from 4 - 40 mm , with an elongated head and distinct narrowed neck , long legs , and a prominent , segmented tube for feeding ( rostrum ) . the most distinctive feature of the family is that the tip of the rostrum fits into a groove in the prosternum , where it is rasped against ridges there (
) to produce sound , a tactic often used to intimidate predators , rivals and attract mates .
assassin bugs use their rostrum to inject a lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey , which are then sucked out by means of a cybarial pump through another passage in the rostrum . the legs of some species are covered in tiny hairs that help them hold onto their prey while they feed . as nymphs , some species will cover and camouflage themselves with plant debris , or the remains of dead prey insects [ 1 ] . some species have been known to feed on cockroaches or bedbugs ( in the case of the masked hunter ) and are regarded in many locations as beneficial . some people breed them as pets and for insect control . some assassin bug groups specialize on certain prey groups , such as ants ( feather - legged bugs - holoptilinae ) , termites , or diplopods ( ectrichodiinae ) .
that causes chagas disease , also referred to as american trypanosomiasis . triatomines are primarily nocturnal and feed on the blood of mammals ( including humans ) , birds , and reptiles .
chagas disease is named after the brazilian physician carlos chagas , who discovered the disease in 1909 . it is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors that are found only in the americas . in the united states , chagas disease is considered a neglected infection of poverty ( nip ) , since it is found mostly in those with limited resources and limited access to medical care .
infection is most commonly acquired through contact with the feces of an infected triatomine bug , but can also be passed from mother to baby , by contaminated blood products , organ transplants , or , rarely , through contaminated food or drink . [ 2 ]
triatomine bugs are currently found over the lower 2 / 3rds of the u . s . , including hawaii . their range is expanding rapidly due to climate change , and they can live indoors and in a variety of outdoor venues : in chicken coops , dog houses , in rodent nest or animal burrows ; in rock or wood piles , beneath the bark of trees , or under concrete walkways and patios .
because most indoor structures in the united states are built with insect - resistent sealed entryways , triatomine bugs rarely infest indoor areas of houses . however , in areas of latin america where human chagas disease is an important public health problem , the bugs nest in cracks and holes of substandard housing , i . e . those with thatched roofs or mud walls .
discovery of immature stages of the bug ( wingless , smaller nymphs ) indoors may be an indication of infestation ; they are likely to be in one of the following settings : in pet bedding , areas of rodent infestation , and in bedrooms , especially under or near mattresses or night stands . in fact , the larvae of the assassin bug
transmission of chagas disease from a bug to a human is not easy . the parasite that causes the disease is in the bug feces . the bug generally defecates on or near a person while it is feeding on his or her blood , generally when the person is sleeping . transmission occurs when fecal material gets rubbed into the bite wound or into a mucous membrane ( for example , the eye or mouth ) , and the parasite enters the body [ 2 ] .
romaña ' s sign : swelling of the eyelid is a marker of acute chagas disease . the swelling is due to bug feces being accidentally rubbed into the eye , or because the bite wound was on the same side of the child ' s face as the swelling . [ 3 ] image : cdc
it is important to note that not all triatomine bugs are infected with the parasite that causes chagas disease . the likelihood of getting chagas disease from a triatomine bug in the united states is low , even if the bug is infected [ 2 ] .
james rennie , insect architecture , vol 2 . pg . 165
structure of larvae
order hemiptera : true bugs number almost 5 , 000 species in north america , and 40 , 000 worldwide . they have mouthparts formed into a beak , adapted for sucking plant juices or the liquefied insides of their animal prey . suborder auchenorrhyncha - cicadas & planthoppers suborder sternorrhyncha - aphids , scales , mealybugs , jumping plant lice .
my little girl was bit or stung by a tiny green bug , a little bigger than a mosquito , lime green in color . the bit was painful and it swelled up but has since gone down . no one seems to know what this bug is . can you take a look at this photo and let me know please .
wow , thank you so much for your fast reply and yes it ' s name sure does match it ' s bite . my daughter is 11 and it brought her to tears , she said it was worse than a bee sting . should i be on the look out for more of these critters ? this happened while she was just sitting in the living room . again , thank you for getting back to me to quickly . diette
it ' s getting late in the year , so hopefully these bugs will soon cease to be a problem . in spite of the unhappy experience you ' ve had , these insects are beneficial in our gardens and fields . they consume lots of harmful insects . they are rather uncommon and it ' s possible that you and your daughter will live out the rest of your lives without ever encountering another one . here is a quote from a university of missouri article about assassin bugs :
avoiding our harmful assassins involves taking simple precautions . exclude them from your home by repairing window screens , applying weatherstripping , and sealing other openings . use yellow bulbs in porchlights , and dispense with bug zappers . do not camp or sleep inside caves , barns or other sheltered areas frequented by masked hunters , corsairs , and conenoses . to avoid a self - defense bite , gently brush away any bug that lands on you .
the beneficial qualities of assassin bugs far outweigh their negative potential , and learning to get along with these indispensable predators is in our own best interest .
good morning , i ' m pretty sure i just discovered an adult assassin bug in my house . i have to admit , freaks me out a bit ! how many are in here ? ? ? i ' ve attached a few photos , sorry . . . he ' s a bit smushed ! if it ' s not the assassan bug , what is this ? i was looking at the article you sent me back in october and it seems like it ' s the same bug , just an adult this time . please advise , diette
the critter in the photo is too mangled , and the resolution isn ' t good enough for me to pick out identifying details but if you google assassin bug and look at
images
you should be able to verify its identity . since these bugs produce only one generation per year - and they tend to be solitary and somewhat nomadic - there probably aren ' t lots of others in your house . they are coming in from the outside . controlling them indoors involves thorough cleaning and vacuuming to reduce other prey insects , caulking areas that may be open to the outdoor , keeping pets indoors . here is another publication that contains information about keeping them out of your house : urltoken
did not know if you can tell me what kind of insect this is and if it is bad . . . .
a pale green assassin bug with prey in frederick co . , maryland ( 9 / 13 / 2015 ) . photo by bonnie ott . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in worcester co . , maryland ( 6 / 16 / 2013 ) . photo by scott housten . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in worcester co . , maryland ( 6 / 4 / 2013 ) . photo by scott housten . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in howard co . , maryland ( 6 / 7 / 2015 ) . photo by richard orr . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in allegany co . , maryland ( 6 / 28 / 2015 ) . photo by ashley bradford . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in frederick co . , maryland ( 11 / 4 / 2017 ) . photo by mark etheridge . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in worcester co . , maryland ( 5 / 28 / 2014 ) . photo by scott housten . ( mbp list )
pale green assassin bug in washington co . , maryland ( 5 / 26 / 2014 ) . photo by hans holbrook . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 10 / 24 / 2014 ) . photo by jesse christopherson . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph feeding on chrysopilus modestus in montgomery co . , maryland ( 7 / 23 / 2015 ) . photo by steve scholnick . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in garrett co . , maryland ( 6 / 24 / 2013 ) . photo by matt tillett . ( mbp list )
pale green assassin bug in talbot co . , maryland ( 5 / 16 / 2015 ) . photo by jim brighton . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in dorchester co . , maryland ( 5 / 24 / 2015 ) . verified by john s . ascher / bugguide . photo by jonathan willey . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 6 / 12 / 2016 ) . photo by robert aguilar , serc . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in frederick co . , maryland ( 6 / 8 / 2013 ) . photo by jim brighton . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in baltimore city , maryland ( 5 / 12 / 2009 ) . determined by v . belov / bugguide . photo by thomas wilson . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in city , maryland ( 6 / 1 / 2010 ) . determined by ken wolgemuth / bugguide . photo by thomas wilson . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in talbot co . , maryland ( 5 / 16 / 2015 ) . photo by jim brighton . ( mbp list )
a pale green assasin bug nymph in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 7 / 22 / 2009 ) . photo by eric gofreed . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph photographed at the jemicy school in baltimore co . , maryland ( 10 / 10 / 2013 ) . photo by emily stanley . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 6 / 5 / 2012 ) . photo by barbara thurlow . ( mbp list )
the nymph of pale green assassin bug in cecil co . , maryland ( 4 / 29 / 2017 ) . photo by ashley bradford . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph in baltimore co . , maryland ( 10 / 13 / 2017 ) . photo by pauline horn . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph in frederick co . , maryland ( 10 / 21 / 2017 ) . photo by mark etheridge . ( mbp list )
use of images featured on maryland biodiversity project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer .


bombus rufocinctus is a species of bumblebee known by the common name red-belted bumblebee .

it is native to north america where it has a wide distribution across canada and the western , midwestern , and northeastern united states .

it may occur in mexico .

the queen is 1.6 to 1.8 centimeters long and just under a centimeter wide at the abdomen .

it is black with scattered gray and yellowish hairs on the head .

the abdomen has many bright yellow hairs and areas of reddish hairs .

the worker is 1.1 to 1.2 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen .

it is similar to the queen but it may have longer hairs .

the male is 1.2 to 1.3 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen .

it is mostly black with more yellow on the head and abdomen .

this species displays four genetically-controlled color polymorphisms : the second and third abdominal terga may have red or black hairs , and the fourth and fifth may be either yellow or black .

this small , short-tongued bee lives in and around wooded areas and it can be found in urban parks and gardens .

it feeds on several kinds of plants , including chicories , snakeroots , strawberries , gumweeds , sunflowers , goldenrods , clovers , vetches , and goldeneyes .

it usually nests on or above ground level .

bombus rufocinctus

for further information about this species , see 21215145 _ bombus _ rufocinctus . pdf .
those with red on the metasoma are often confused with various pyrobombus whereas those without can be confused with bombus bimaculatus and various other species , but in rufocinctus the malar space is exceptionally short .
bombus rufocinctus cresson : apidae ( bombini ) , hymenoptera ( observations are from macior and thomson et al . ) araliaceae : aralia hispida ( tmp ) ; primulaceae : dodecatheon meadia cp ( mc )
lectotype for bombus rufocinctus cresson , 1863 catalog number : usnm collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of entomology sex / stage : male ; worker ; preparation : pinned locality : colo . , colorado , united states
richardson , l . l . 2013 . bumble bees of north america : a database of specimen records for the genus bombus . data contributors available : urltoken
bombus rufocinctus cresson : apidae ( bombini ) , hymenoptera ( observations are from macior , thomson et al . , discover life ) araliaceae : aralia hispida ( tmp ) ; primulaceae : dodecatheon meadia cp ( mc ) ; rosaceae : spiraea tomentosa ( dl ) insect activities : cp = collects pollen scientific observers : ( mc ) = l . w . macior ( tmp ) = thomson , maddison , and plowright
macior , l . w . 1968 . bombus ( hymenoptera , apidae ) queen foraging in relation to vernal pollination in wisconsin . ecology 49 ( 1 ) : 20 - 25
carvell , c . 2002 . habitat use and conservation of bumblebees ( bombus spp . ) under different grasslands management regimes . biological conservation 103 ( 1 ) : 33 - 49 .
no recent studies suggest that this species to be threatened on a large scale ( natureserve 2014 ) . the apparent decline around san francisco might be related in part to competition from b . vosnesenskii , a species which has increased dramatically in abundance in the region . it should be noted , however , that bombus rufocinctus was historically known from low numbers in the city of san francisco , so the lack of recent detection ( e . g . , mcfrederick and lebuhn 2006 ) is not very alarming .
savard , m . 2009 . aperçu sur la diversité des bourdons de la minganie , québec ( hymenoptera : apidae : bombus ) . le naturaliste canadien 133 ( 2 ) : 31 - 36 .
in females with red on the metasoma the red is on the apicolateral corners of t2 and on t3 and t4 , with t1 and most of t2 yellow , whereas in species such as ternarius and huntii t2 - t3 are entirely red and t4 is yellow . bombus centralis can be confusing in that its metasoma is yellow basally and red apically , but in that species t2 is entirely yellow and the facial hairs are all yellow ( also usually true of huntii and bifarius but not ternarius , sylvicola , or rufocinctus ) . the dorsum of the scutum has black as in other species , but this is often a rather diffuse blotch as opposed to a narrow , well - defined interalar band ( as in huntii ) or clearly extending to form a notch in the scutellum posteriorly ( as in bifarius and to a lesser degree ternarius ) . however , rufocinctus females can have a complete , broad interalar band .
mcfrederick , q . s . , and g . lebuhn . 2006 . are urban parks refuges for bumble bees bombus spp . ( hymenoptera : apidae ) ? biological conservation 129 ( 3 ) : 372 - 382 [ includes corrigendum ] .
colla , s . , and l . packer . 2008 . evidence for decline in eastern north american bumblebees ( hymenoptera : apidae ) , with special reference to bombus affinis cresson . biodiversity and conservation 17 ( 6 ) : 1379 - 1391 .
evans , e . , r . thorp , s . jepson and s . hoffman - black . 2008 . status review of three formerly common species of bumble bees in the subgenus bombus . the xerces society . 63 pp . accessed at urltoken
grixti , j . c . , l . t . wong , s . a . cameron , and c . favret . 2008 . decline of bumble bees ( bombus ) in the north american midwest . biological conservation 142 ; 75 - 84
golick , d . a . , and m . d . ellis . 2006 . an update on the distribution and diversity of bombus in nebraska ( hymenoptera : apidae ) . journal of the kansas entomological society 79 ( 4 ) : 341 - 347 .
grixti , j . c . , l . t . wong , s . a . cameron , and c . favret . 2009 . decline of bumble bees ( bombus ) in the north american midwest . biological conservation 142 ( 1 ) : 75 - 84 .
hatfield , r . g . , and g . lebuhn . 2007 . patch and landscape factors shape community assemblage of bumble bees , bombus spp . ( hymenoptera : apidae ) , in montane meadows . biological conservation 139 ( 1 - 2 ) : 150 - 158 .
super , p . e . , and a . t . moyer . 2003b . bombus affinis cresson , bumble bee - biodiversity of great smoky mountains national park . in : nps , dlia . 2007 . discover life in america , great smoky mountains national park , gatlinburg , tennessee . online . available : urltoken
williams , p . h . 2008a . bombus , bumblebees of the world . web pages based on williams , p . h . 1998 . an annotated checklist of bumblebees with an analysis of patterns of description ( hymenoptera : apidae , bombini ) . bulletin of the natural history museum ( entomology ) 67 : 79 - 152 . online . available : urltoken accessed 2008 - oct .
generally , bumble bees ( bombus spp . ) are threatened by a number of factors including habitat loss , pesticide use , pathogens from managed pollinators , competition with non - native bees , and climate change ( reviewed in goulson 2010 , williams et al . 2009 , williams and osborne 2009 , fürst et al . 2014 , cameron et al . 2011 , hatfield et al . 2012 ) . reduced genetic diversity resulting from any of these threats can be particularly concerning for bumble bees , since their method of sex - determination can be disrupted by inbreeding , and since genetic diversity already tends to be low in this group due to the colonial life cycle ( i . e . , large numbers of bumble bees found locally may represent only one or a few queens ) ( goulson 2010 , hatfield et al . 2012 , but see cameron et al . 2011 , lozier et al . 2011 ) .
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foltz jordan , s . , hatfield , r . , colla , s . & macphail , v .
justification : according to our analysis , this widespread north american species has not exhibited rangewide decline in recent years ( hatfield et al . 2014 ) . specifically , the average decline of 0 % ( based on relative abundance , persistence , and range ) suggests a least concern category for this species . note that this analysis did not consider the mexican distribution of this species , however , since this species is known from very few records in a small area of mexico ( labougle 1990 , ecosur 2014 ) , the mexican data would not have significantly impacted the above results . our findings are consistent with other reports that the species is stable or increasing throughout the eastern and central portions of its range ( colla and packer 2008 , grixti et al . 2009 , colla et al . 2012 ) . based on the above calculations and trends , along with published reports of bumble bee decline and the assessors ' best professional judgement , we recommend this species for the least concern red list category at this time .
2014 ) . it also occurs rarely in mexico , where it is limited in distribution to the trans - mexican volcanic belt ( eje volcánico transversal ) , a volcanic belt that extends from west to east across central - southern mexico ( labougle 1990 ) . known mexican localities are from ( 1 ) the state of mexico ( estado de méxico ) : toluca and santa elena - toluca ; ( 2 ) the federal district ( distrito federal ) ; ( 3 ) the volcán , popocatépetl ( labougle 1990 ) ; and ( 4 ) the states of tlaxcala and hidalgo ( r . vandame pers . comm . 2014 ) . there are 21 records for this species in the current database of mexican bumble bee records ( ecosur 2014 , including holdings from ecosur and other collections ) .
for a graph and map of relative abundance and range changes of this species over time see the supplementary material .
canada ( alberta , british columbia , manitoba , new brunswick , newfoundland i , northwest territories , nova scotia , ontario , prince edward i . , québec , saskatchewan ) ; mexico ( méxico distrito federal , méxico state ) ; united states ( alaska , arizona , california , colorado , idaho , illinois , iowa , kansas , maine , massachusetts , michigan , minnesota , missouri , montana , nebraska , nevada , new hampshire , new jersey , new mexico , new york , north dakota , ohio , oregon , south dakota , utah , vermont , washington , west virginia , wisconsin , wyoming )
populations of this bee appear to be stable in most of its range , and may even be increasing in some areas . in a study in illinois , 2007 surveys of 57 sites across the state revealed
2009 ) . in another regional study in southern ontario , colla and packer ( 2008 ) found this species had over two times greater relative abundance in 2004 - 2006 than was exhibited during surveys at these same sites a few decades earlier ( 1971 - 1973 ) .
range - wide , this species also appears to be stable . in a large study considering over 69 , 000 bumblebee specimens representing 21 species collected from 1865 - 2010 in eastern north america , colla
. ( 2012 ) assessed changes in relative abundance and occupancy of this species and ranked its conservation status throughout the entire united states and canadian range . this study found
persisted in 67 % of re - sampled historically occupied 50 x 50 km grid cells throughout its united states and canada range , and significantly increased in relative abundance over the time periods examined .
common throughout its range , but note that it had disappeared from the san francisco bay area by 2002 , an area where it was historically uncommon ( mcfrederick and lebuhn 2006 ) .
the population of this species in central mexico is apparently isolated from the united states populations , and with very few ( 21 ) records , its status is not well - known . surveys in this region from 2012 to 2014 were unable to detect this species ( r . vandame pers . comm . 2014 ) .
2014 ) . we also assessed changes in the species’ relative abundance ( see figure 1 in the supplementary material ) , which we consider to be an index of abundance relevant to the taxon , as specified by the iucn red list categories and criteria ( iucn 2012 ) . for all three calculations we divided the database into historical ( 1805 - 2001 , n = 128 , 572 ) and current ( 2002 - 2012 , n = 74 , 682 ) records . this timeframe was chosen to meet the iucn criteria stipulation that species decline must have been observed over the longer of three generations or 10 years . average decline for this species was calculated by averaging the change in abundance , persistence , and eoo . this analysis yielded the following results ( see also the graph of relative abundance and map of change in eoo over time in the supplementary material ) :
conservation needs : specific conservation needs for this species have not been identified . due to the inherent vulnerability of many bumble bee species and importance of supporting wild bee populations for pollination services , the following general conservation practices are recommended :
restore , create and preserve natural high - quality habitats to include suitable forage , nesting and overwintering sites .
restrict pesticide use on or near suitable habitat , particularly while treated plants are in flower .
promote farming practices that increase of nitrogen - fixing fallow ( legumes ) and other pollinator - friendly plants along field margins .
research needs : in addition , the northern area of this species ' range is undersampled ( hatfield et al . 2014 ) . further surveys of this species are needed in mexico , where the status and population trends are not well - known ( r . vandame pers . comm . 2014 ) . additional research needs for north american bumble bees ( as a whole ) are summarized in cameron et al . ( 2011 ) , the final report for the 2010 north american bumble bee species conservation planning workshop .
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reprinted with permission from : mitchell , t . b . 1962 bees of the eastern united states . north carolina agricultural experiment station technical bulletin no . 152 .
worker—length 11 - 12 . 5 mm . , breadth of abdomen 5 - 5 . 5 mm . ; quite similar to queen but pubescence relatively more elongate , with considerable variation in the pattern of pubescence on abdominal terga , with some black pubescence evident on the more median terga in some specimens .
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this species is a relatively widespread northern and western bumble bee that is not reported by any recent sources to be declining widely . while it seems to have disappeared around san franciso , it appears to be increasing in some places . it is also not a member of any subgenus in which declines have been reported or documented . it is secure for now but , like most bumblebees , its status should be monitored .
due to latency between updates made in state , provincial or other natureserve network databases and when they appear on natureserve explorer , for state or provincial information you may wish to contact the data steward in your jurisdiction to obtain the most current data . please refer to
mitchell ( 1962 ) gives the range as pacific coast to michigan , maine and quebec , so apparently this is a rather northern species at least eastward . the urltoken site gives a very similar eastern range and indicates the species to be very widespread ( south to arizona ) in the west ( www . bumblebee . org ) . schmidt and jacobson ( 2005 ) confirm the species as widespread , mostly above 2500 meters , in northern arizona .
no recent studies suggest this species to be threatened on a large scale . at a more localized scale habitat changes , pesticides etc . can have a negative impact . the decline around san francisco might be relate in part to competition from b . vosnesenskii .
no recent sources report this species to be in serious range - wide decline , and colla and packer ( 2008 ) report a slight , but statistically significant , increase recently in southern ontario . see also williams et al . ( 2009 ) . it possibly has also increased in northern illinois , which would be at the southern edge of the eastern range ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) . tuell et al . ( 2008 ) also had this species in their samples in michigan . mcfrederick and lebuhn ( 2005 ) were unable to detect this recently common species in the san francisco area .
queens of this species begin activity later in the season than most others ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) , a trait that is shown by williams et al . ( 2009 ) to predispose bumblebees to declines in various parts of the world .
( > 2 , 500 , 000 square km ( greater than 1 , 000 , 000 square miles ) ) mitchell ( 1962 ) gives the range as pacific coast to michigan , maine and quebec , so apparently this is a rather northern species at least eastward . the urltoken site gives a very similar eastern range and indicates the species to be very widespread ( south to arizona ) in the west ( www . bumblebee . org ) . schmidt and jacobson ( 2005 ) confirm the species as widespread , mostly above 2500 meters , in northern arizona .
use the generic guidelines for the application of occurrence ranks ( 2008 ) . the key for ranking species occurrences using the generic approach provides a step - wise process for implementing this method .
zoological data developed by natureserve and its network of natural heritage programs ( see local programs ) and other contributors and cooperators ( see sources ) .
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integrated taxonomic information system ( itis ) . 2008 . world bee checklist project ( version 03 - oct - 2008 ) . integrated taxonomic information system : biological names . online . available : http : / / www . itis . gov .
jepsen , s . 2008 . invertebrate conservation fact sheet , bumble bees in decline . the xerces society for invertebrate conservation . available : urltoken
kearns , c . a . , and d . m . oliveras . 2009 . boulder county bees revisited : a resampling of boulder colorado bees a century later . journal of insect conservation 13 ( 6 ) : 603 - 613 .
laberge , w . e . , and m . c . webb , 1962 . the bumblebees of nebraska . university of nebraska college of agriculture , agricultural experiment station , research bulletin 205 : 1 - 38 .
longcore , t . , c . rich , and l . m . sullivan . 2009 . critical assessment of claims regarding management of feral cats by trap - neuter - return . conservation biology 23 ( 4 ) : 887 - 894 .
loose , j . l . , f . a . drummond , c . stubbs , s . woods , and s . hoffman . 2005 . conservation and management of native bees in cranberry . maine agricultural and forest experiment station . the university of maine , orono , maine , usa . technical bulletin 191 . 27 pp .
medler , j . t , and d . w carney . 1963 . bumblebees of wisconsin ( hymenoptera : apidae ) . university of wisconsin research bulletin 240 : 1 - 47 .
mitchell , t . b . 1962 . bees of the eastern united states . ii . technical bulletin ( north carolina agricultural experiment station ) , 152 , 1 - 557 . [ megachilidae , anthophoridae , apidae s . s . ]
noordijk , j . , k . delille , a . p . schaffers , and k . v . sýkora . 2009 . optimizing grassland management for flower - visiting insects in roadside verges . biological conservation 142 ( 10 ) : 2097 - 2103 .
otterstatter , m . c . , and j . d . thomson . 2008 . does pathogen spillover from commercially reared bumble bees threaten wild pollinators ? plos one 3 ( 7 ) : e2771 .
plath , o . e . 1922b . notes on the nesting habits of several north american bumblebees . psyche 29 : 189 - 202 .
plath , o . e . 1927 . notes on the nesting habits of some of the less common new england bumble - bees . psyche 34 : 122 - 128 .
poole , r . w . , and p . gentili ( eds . ) . 1996 . nomina insecta nearctica : a checklist of the insects of north america . volume 2 ( hymenoptera , mecoptera , megaloptera , neuroptera , raphidioptera , trichoptera ) . entomological information services , rockville , md .
pyke , g . h . 1982 . local geographic distributions of bumblebees near crested butte , colorado : competition and community structure . ecology 63 ( 2 ) : 555 - 573 .
russell , k . n , h . ikard , and s . droege . 2005 . the potential conservation value of unmowed powerline strips for native bees . biological conservation 124 ( 1 ) : pages 133 - 148 .
schmidt , j . o . , and r . s . jacobson . 2005 . refugia , biodiversity , and pollination roles of bumble bees in the madrean archipelago . usda forest service proceedings rmrs - p - 36 . pages 127 - 130 .
schweitzer , d . f . , n . a . capuano , b . e . young and s . r . colla . 2012 . conservation and management of north american bumble bees . natureserve , arlington , virginia , and usda forest service , washington , d . c . 17 pp .
sheffield , c . s . , p . g . kevan , a . pindar , and l . packer . 2013 . bee ( hymenoptera : apoidea ) diversity within apple orchards and old fields in the annapolis valley , nova scotia , canada . the canadian entomologist 145 ( 01 ) : 94 - 114 .
sheffield , c . s . , p . g . kevan , and r . f . smith . 2003 . bee species of nova scotia , canada , with new records and notes on bionomics and floral relations ( hymenoptera : apoidea ) . journal of the kansas entomological society 76 ( 2 ) : 357 - 384 .
thorp , r . w . , d . s . horning , and l . l dunning . 1983 . bumble bees and cuckoo bumble bees of california ( hymenoptera : apidae ) . bulletin of the california insect survey 23 : viii + 79 pp .
tuell , j . k . , a . k . fielder , d . landis , and r . isaacs . 2008 . visitation by wild and managed bees ( hymenoptera : apoidea ) to eastern u . s . native plants for use in conservation programs . environmental entomology 37 ( 3 ) : 707 - 718 .
turnock , w . j . , p . g . kevan , t . m . laverty , and l . dumouchel . 2007 . abundance and species of bumble bees ( hymenoptera : apoidea : bombinae ) in fields of canola , brassica rapa l . , in manitoba : an 8 - year record . journal of the entomological society of ontario 137 : 31 - 40 .
u . s . fish and wildlife service ( usfws ) . 1999 . endangered and threatened wildlife and plants ; proposed threatened status for the plant silene spaldingii ( spalding ' s catchfly ) . federal register 64 ( 232 ) : 67814 - 67821 .
u . s . fish and wildlife service ( usfws ) . 2008 . draft recovery plan for the prairie species of western oregon and southwestern washington . u . s . fish and wildlife service , portland , oregon . x + 212 pp . available : urltoken
watson , j . c . , a . t . wolf , and j . s . ascher . 2011 . forested landscapes promote richness and abundance of native bees ( hymenoptera : apoidea : anthophila ) in wisconsin apple orchards . environmental entomology 40 ( 3 ) : 621 - 632 .
williams , p . , s . colla , and z . xie . 2009c . bumblebee vulnerability : common correlates of winners and losers across three continents . conservation biology 23 ( 4 ) : 931 - 940 .
williams , p . h . , r . w . thorp , l . l . richardson , and s . r . colla . 2014b . bumble bees of north america : an identification guide . princeton university press . 208 pp .
williams , p . h . , and j . l . osborne . 2009 . bumblebee vulnerability and conservation world - wide . apidologie 40 ( 3 ) : 367 - 387 .
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wojcik , v . a . , g . w . frankie , r . w . thorp , and j . l . hernandez . 2008 . seasonality in bees and their floral resource plants at a constructed urban bee habitat in berkeley , california . journal of the kansas entomological society 81 ( 1 ) : 15 - 28 .
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ridgely , r . s . , t . f . allnutt , t . brooks , d . k . mcnicol , d . w . mehlman , b . e . young , and j . r . zook . 2003 . digital distribution maps of the birds of the western hemisphere , version 1 . 0 . natureserve , arlington , virginia , usa .
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often cited as
redbelted
bumble bee , but use of a hyphen is generally preferred when citing common names ( see aou and bou bird checklists ) .
the female castes can differ in color of facial hairs as this is often yellow in queens but mostly black in workers .
males have large eyes and are relatively small . those with red on t3 - t4 are distinctive but those without can be confused with griseocollis ( not black corners on t2 in most of those ) and nevadensis ( note yellow on t3 in that species ) . antennal proportions are quite helpful . the eyes are less closely approximated above than in nevadensis .
transcontinental . best known at northern sites and in the western mountains . very local in occurrence in the northeastern united states but locally numerous at some sites , such as near albany , new york . some surprising , disjunct records are known from new york and also new jersey ( j . s . ascher , unpublished ) .
typical open sites , especially prairies , but also mountain meadows and sometimes unusual places such as quarries or pine barrens . not generally distributed and seems to avoid cities .
the hosts section of its discover life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images .
18 pinned adult images plus detailed description of queen , worker , male , distribution , seasonality ( discoverlife . org )
contributed by beatriz moisset on 6 july , 2005 - 5 : 51pm additional contributions by robin mcleod , mike quinn , john s . ascher , h . go last updated 7 march , 2016 - 5 : 47pm
global range : ( > 2 , 500 , 000 square km ( greater than 1 , 000 , 000 square miles ) ) mitchell ( 1962 ) gives the range as pacific coast to michigan , maine and quebec , so apparently this is a rather northern species at least eastward . the urltoken site gives a very similar eastern range and indicates the species to be very widespread ( south to arizona ) in the west ( www . bumblebee . org ) . schmidt and jacobson ( 2005 ) confirm the species as widespread , mostly above 2500 meters , in northern arizona .
lectotype : 1863 . proceedings of the entomological society of america . 2 : 106 .
hilty , j . editor . 2015 . insect visitors of illinois wildflowers . world wide web electronic publication . illinoiswildflowers . info , version ( 09 / 2015 ) see : abbreviations for insect activities , abbreviations for scientific observers , references for behavioral observations
note : for many non - migratory species , occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations .
the following is a representative barcode sequence , the centroid of all available sequences for this species . there are 7 barcode sequences available from bold and genbank .
below is a sequence of the barcode region cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 ( coi or cox1 ) from a member of the species .
reasons : this species is a relatively widespread northern and western bumble bee that is not reported by any recent sources to be declining widely . while it seems to have disappeared around san franciso , it appears to be increasing in some places . it is also not a member of any subgenus in which declines have been reported or documented . it is secure for now but , like most bumblebees , its status should be monitored .
comments : queens of this species begin activity later in the season than most others ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) , a trait that is shown by williams et al . ( 2009 ) to predispose bumblebees to declines in various parts of the world .
comments : no recent sources report this species to be in serious range - wide decline , and colla and packer ( 2008 ) report a slight , but statistically significant , increase recently in southern ontario . see also williams et al . ( 2009 ) . it possibly has also increased in northern illinois , which would be at the southern edge of the eastern range ( grixti et al . , 2009 ) . tuell et al . ( 2008 ) also had this species in their samples in michigan . mcfrederick and lebuhn ( 2005 ) were unable to detect this recently common species in the san francisco area .
comments : no recent studies suggest this species to be threatened on a large scale . at a more localized scale habitat changes , pesticides etc . can have a negative impact . the decline around san francisco might be relate in part to competition from b . vosnesenskii .
comments : at least many current habitats are secure , possibly unprotected from other threats .
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checklist of apoidea of north america . . . - 12 - oct - 2006 , manuscript ( version 12 - oct - 06 )
john ascher , connal eardley , terry griswold , gabriel melo , andrew polaszek , michael ruggiero , paul williams , ken walker , and natapot warrit . additional credits noted at : urltoken ; = apoidea _ species
krombein , karl v . , paul d . hurd , jr . , david r . smith , and b . d . burks
catalog of hymenoptera in america north of mexico , vol . 2 : apocrita ( aculeata )
bulletin of the natural history museum ( entomology ) , vol . 67 , no . 1
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .