Species Account for Bombus rupestris
Bombus rupestris (Fabricius, 1793)
a cuckoo bumblebee
Aculeata: Apinae: Apinae
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Essex RDB: Listed
Threat: Essex Threatened
Additional Phenology Data
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sorry, no pictures available for this species yet - if you have an image please upload itTaxonomic group: honey bee and bumblebees (Aculeata: Apinae) - Part county data
Essex Red Data List comment
Still widespread, but rapidly declining in numbers
Species text
This cuckoo bumblebee is a social parasite on the common and widespread red-tailed bumblebee B. lapidarius. It is widespread in southern Britain, but declined considerably during and after the 1940s and is accorded Nationally Scarce status in Falk (1991b). It inhabits a wide variety of flower-rich situations, with large sites being particularly favoured, but its frequency in suburban situations is extremely low, despite the presence of the host in good numbers. There has apparently been a resurgence in the past decade (Edwards & Telfer 2001), but this has not been apparent in Essex, where it remains a scarce species. References
Habitats
Recorded management for locations with Bombus rupestris
Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Bombus rupestris
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