The stone bumblebee was first described by the scientist Karl Linnaeus in 1880. He named this species Apis lapidaria Linnaeus, which was later renamed Bombus lapidarius (Linnaeus). A distinctive feature of this species is the black color of the whole body, with the exception of the tip of the abdomen, which is painted in bright orange or scarlet.
Appearance
The sizes of the stone bumblebee almost do not differ from the dimensions of its closest brothers. Females responsible for breeding in the nest have the largest body sizes - about 23 mm in length. Female workers and male drones do not exceed 16 mm in length.
On a note!
A distinctive feature of males is their lack of sting. For humans, they do not pose any danger.
A bright black color is characteristic of all representatives of Bombus lapidarius. But males have a yellow collar on their chest. Male drones also have longer antennae of 13 segments. In females, the antennae consist of 12 parts. Red hairs at the end of the abdomen attach bumblebee smart look.
Habitat
The name "stone" bumblebee was given for a reason. This species of bee relatives prefers to build nests under a pile of stones. Representatives of stone bumblebees are considered a small species. Their range is:
- The European part of the mainland in the middle latitudes;
- south of Western Siberia;
- Baikal region;
- north of Kazakhstan.
Stone bumblebee is actively collecting nectar from April to September in fields, meadows, and copses. It can be found in gardens and kitchen gardens. Almost all plants that fall into the field of view of an insect are polluted. One family reads 300-400 individuals.
Socket device
In spring, the female founder lays a batch of eggs in a secluded place of her choice among the stones. She takes care of her first offspring herself. After several weeks, the younger generation is already helping her. When the number of stone bumblebees exceeds the first hundred, the female ceases to fly out of the nest and is engaged only in egg-laying.
Working females collect nectar and bee bread to replenish stocks of the hive. They have a long proboscis, which is adapted to collect the sweet fluid of inflorescences. Drones build new cells to breed offspring and to store processed nectar, known as honey. Males do not collect flower sweets and do not participate in the pollination of plants.
Bumblebee Honey not inferior in taste and healing qualities to bee. But it is inferior in quantity, since the life span of furry insects is only a few months and there is no need to make large stocks of food.
