 Bumblebees are varied in appearance, but are generally plump and densely furry. Compared to honeybees they are larger and stouter-bodied. Many species have broad bands of colour, the patterns helping to distinguish different species. Whereas honeybees have short tongues and therefore mainly pollinate open flowers, some bumblebee species have long tongues and collect nectar from flowers that are closed into a tube. Compared to a honeybee, a bumblebee has a broader body and a more rounded tip to the abdomen. Bumblebees have fewer stripes (or none), and usually have part of the body covered in black fur, while honeybees have many stripes including several grey stripes on the abdomen. Sizes are very variable even within species; the largest British species, B. terrestris, has queens up to 22 mm long, males up to 16 mm long, and workers between 11 and 17 mm long. The largest bumblebee species in the world is B. dahlbomii of Chile, up to about 40 mm long, and described as "flying mice" and "a monstrous fluffy ginger beast".
