Perplexing Bumble Bee Bombus perplexus Cresson, 1863    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Hymenoptera   >   Family Apidae   >   Genus Bombus   

Status:

In our area, its distribution largely stops at the Fall Line; few are recorded on the coastal plain (S. Droege, pers. comm.).

Description:

Note lemon yellow coloration. For some reason this species' coloration tends towards bright yellow while other eastern bumbles are more subdued in their yellowness. It varies with their age (the sun fade bumbles plumage) but a nice lemon yellow usually means this species. Males have 13 rather than 12 antennal segments and the hind legs lack the pollen-carrying corbicula (bare area) on the tibia. (S. Droege, pers. comm.)

There are 175 records in the project database.

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A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/22/2019). Verified by John S. Ascher/BugGuide. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Harford Co., Maryland (6/22/2017). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (7/22/2018). Verified by John S. Ascher/BugGuide. Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

A Bombus perplexus, identified by Sam Droege, nectaring on Canada Thistle in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/23/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Bombus perplexus in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/23/2013). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/7/2020). Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/21/2015). (c) Even Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Even Dankowicz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/23/2014). (c) Even Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Even Dankowicz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A male Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/19/2016). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/23/2018). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/25/2016). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/5/2021). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Howard Co., Maryland (6/26/2016). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/5/2020). (c) nodowd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by nodowd via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bees in Frederick Co., Maryland (7/3/2015). Verified by John S. Ascher/BugGuide. Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/26/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/28/2020). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/30/2020). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/29/2019). (c) Ryan Kurtz, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Ryan Kurtz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/12/2020). (c) conniey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by conniey via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/13/2021). (c) Nathaniel Schwartz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Nathaniel Schwartz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/25/2015). (c) elizaberry, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by elizaberry via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/23/2021). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/5/2020). (c) nodowd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by nodowd via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/6/2015). Determined by John S. Ascher/BugGuide. Photo by Pauline Horn. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/16/2020). (c) stephanieoberle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by stephanieoberle via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/27/2020). (c) apistopanchax, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Carroll Co., Maryland (6/5/2021). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/27/2020). (c) apistopanchax, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/9/2019). (c) Peter M Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Peter M Martin via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Montgomery Co., Maryland (6/17/2020). Determined by John S. Ascher and Bob Zuparko via BugGuide. Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Frederick Co., Maryland (7/4/2020). (c) kbarylski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by kbarylski via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Perplexing Bumble Bee in Baltimore Co., Maryland (6/28/2021). (c) rickster81, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by rickster81 via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Centre Co., Pennsylvania (2016). Photograph by Kelly Graninger. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Centre Co., Pennsylvania (2016). Photograph by Kelly Graninger. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

A Perplexing Bumble Bee in Centre Co., Pennsylvania (2016). Photograph by Kelly Graninger. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

A female Perplexing Bumble Bee collected in Centre Co., Pennsylvania. Collected by Laura Russo. Photograph by Kelly Graninger. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)

A female Perplexing Bumble Bee collected in Centre Co., Pennsylvania. Collected by Laura Russo. Photograph by Kelly Graninger. Photo by USGS PWRC. (MBP list)


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