Buff-tailed bumblebee

Indigenous and wild (also produced in captivity for pollination)

Humid to sub-humid Mediterranean

Late winter to early summer (February to July). Founding queens emerge as early as February.

Common in the North, non-existent in the arid South.

Size

20 - 22 mm (queen), 11 - 16 mm (workers)

Color

Black body with two transverse yellow bands (one on the thorax and one on the abdomen) and the tip of the abdomen (tail) white.

Particularities

Very hairy, stocky, and heavy body. Very noisy flight.

Aggressiveness

None to very low. Only stings if directly crushed or if the nest is attacked.

Swarming

Not applicable (colonies are annual, only the fertilized queen hibernates).

Use of propolis

None (does not use propolis, builds its nest with wax mixed with pollen in the ground).

Robbing

Not applicable.

Very resistant to cold and wind. Capable of flying and foraging at very low temperatures (from 5°C) thanks to its thermoregulation ability.

Not raised for honey production (the colony only stores very small quantities for its immediate survival). However, it is of paramount importance for fruit growers and market gardeners. Its nests or commercial mini-hives are introduced into tomato greenhouses in Tunisia to ensure optimal buzz-pollination.

Major wild pollinator. Thanks to its size and its buzz-pollination technique, it is essential for Solanaceae (tomatoes, eggplants) and maquis plants.