EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Bombus fervidus: Gold of the North

Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus), Family Apidae
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon USA

Explanation:  There's gold in the northern hills!  And it flies.

This is a Golden Northern Bumble Bee, also known by its scientific name Bombus fervidus.  It is a clear and brilliant day in late spring and this bee is busy collecting nectar from flowers of a striking Indian paintbrush plant in meadows of the eastern Columbia River Gorge of Oregon.  

Northern Golden Bumble Bees frequent such meadows along with various other openings in forests and along roadsides.  They range throughout a large part of central North America.  

There are 43 species of Bombus, although the taxonomy of this species is a bit unclear.  Color patterns of the Golden Northern Bumble Bee workers can vary greatly, further confusing identication.  

In early spring, the queen emerges from her overwintering site and lays eggs in soil crevices.  Only the active queen persist over the winter, and the rest of the colony dies.