Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus impatiens

"Bombus impatiens", the common eastern bumble bee, is the most commonly encountered bumblebee across much of eastern North America. They can be found in the Eastern temperate forest region of the eastern United States, southern Canada, and the eastern Great Plains.
Common Eastern Bumble Bee - Bombus impatiens Not all bees collect pollen, and the ones that do collect it in different ways. For example, leafcutter bees carry pollen on the scopal hairs on their abdomen, some bees in the family Colletidae carry pollen internally, and mining bees carry pollen in their 'armpits'. Most wild bees do not have pollen baskets. But, honey bees and bumble bees do have pollen baskets (called corbiculae). A corbicula is made up of hairs blended together to form a concave shape. In this photo, you can see one pollen basket on the bee's hindleg. Habitat: garden https://www.jungledragon.com/image/111207/common_eastern_bumble_bee_corbicula-_bombus_impatiens.html Bombus,Bombus impatiens,Common eastern bumble bee,Geotagged,Summer,United States,bee,bumble bee,bumblebee,corbiculae

Appearance

Because of their great adaptability, they can live in country, suburbs, and even urban cities. This adaptability makes them a great pollinator species, leading to an increase in their commercial use by greenhouse industry. This increase consequently led to their farther spread outside their previous distribution range. They are considered one of the most important species of pollinator bees in North America.
Bumble bee on golden rod This fellow and hundreds of his friends were dozing on the golden rod on a cool morning outside of Atlanta, GA Bombus impatiens,Geotagged,United States

Distribution

Broadly, they can be found in the Eastern temperate forest region of the eastern United States, southern Canada, and the eastern Great Plains. More specifically, its range includes Ontario, the New England States, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, south to Florida, west to Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Also, the increase in their commercial use by greenhouse industry led to the spread of the species outside its previous distribution range. "Bombus impatiens" adapts well to a variety of habitats, nectar sources, and climates and was seen visiting a variety and abundance of plants. In addition to agricultural, wetland, and urban conditions, the species can thrive in wooded habitats, and is likely related to woodland spring ephemerals. It nests underground in open fields and woods.
Common Eastern Bumble Bee - Bombus impatiens Just a common bumblebee, but I wanted to share it anyway because it has fantastic corbiculae (pollen baskets)!! Not all bees collect pollen, and the ones that do collect it in different ways. For example, leafcutter bees carry pollen on the scopal hairs on their abdomen, some bees in the family Colletidae carry pollen internally, and mining bees carry pollen in their 'armpits'. Most wild bees do not have pollen baskets. But, honey bees and bumble bees do have pollen baskets (called corbiculae). A corbicula is made up of hairs blended together to form a concave shape. In this photo, you can see the pollen baskets, which are fairly full, on the hing legs of the bee. Habitat: Rural garden Bombus,Bombus impatiens,Common eastern bumble bee,Fall,Geotagged,United States,bee,bumblebee,corbicula,corbiculae,pollen baskets

Behavior

"B. impatiens" use communication in order to maximize the benefit of foraging. The bees become faster and more accurate as they become more experienced at foraging, and the returning foragers tend to stimulate the foraging activity of the colony.Anna Dornhaus, Lars Chittka. Information flow and regulation of foraging activity in bumble
bees. Apidologie, Springer Verlag, 2004, 35, pp.183-192.
. The foragers of "B. impatiens" improve their foraging activity by communicating with others in their nests. They share their abilities to associate scents of good food sources.
Common Eastern Bumble Bee - Bombus impatiens Habitat: Buzzing around in a rural garden Bombus impatiens,Geotagged,Summer,United States,bee,bombus,bumble bee,common eastern bumble bee

Habitat

Broadly, they can be found in the Eastern temperate forest region of the eastern United States, southern Canada, and the eastern Great Plains. More specifically, its range includes Ontario, the New England States, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, south to Florida, west to Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa. Also, the increase in their commercial use by greenhouse industry led to the spread of the species outside its previous distribution range. "Bombus impatiens" adapts well to a variety of habitats, nectar sources, and climates and was seen visiting a variety and abundance of plants. In addition to agricultural, wetland, and urban conditions, the species can thrive in wooded habitats, and is likely related to woodland spring ephemerals. It nests underground in open fields and woods.
Bumblebee - Bombus impatiens Covered in pollen! Habitat: Rural garden https://www.jungledragon.com/image/93142/bumblebee_-_bombus_impatiens.html Bombus impatiens,Common eastern bumble bee,Fall,Geotagged,United States,bee,bombus,bumble bee,bumblebee

Reproduction

"B. impatiens" have underground nests that are 1–3 feet below the ground surface. They enter their nests using tunnels that are 18 inches to 9 feet long. Unlike the nests of honeybees or paper wasps, the nests of "B. impatiens" do not have a predictable pattern. The bees lay egg clumps all over inside the nest instead of having one brood area around which the workers’ distribution center is arranged.

Within the nest there is a special division of labor and social organization. 11–13% of workers maintain small spatial fidelity zones inside the nest, and all workers remain at a specific distance from the colony center. Smaller individuals maintained smaller spatial zones and tended to be closer to the center of the nest. Individuals that perform the in-nest task of larval feeding were found in the center of the nest, while foragers were often found on the periphery of the nest when not foraging.Worker bees are totipotent and have the ability to lay eggs, and a few workers even have mature oocytes in their ovaries. However, when there is a queen in the colony, the workers do not attempt to lay eggs or develop eggs. They usually do not show aggression towards other workers or the queen, showing no “competition phase.” Without a queen, aggression is more common.
Eastern Bumblebee Bumblebee shadow on zinnia Bombus impatiens,Common eastern bumble bee,Geotagged,Summer,United States

Food

There are many food plants for "B. impatiens" including: “"Aster"”, "Cirsium, Eupatorium, Gelsemium, Malus, Pontederia, Rubus, Solidag, Trifolium, Crocus, Pieris, Rhododendron", barberry, mountain laurel, rose, clover, purple vetch, pickerel weed, purple loosestrife, buttonbush, jewel-weed, Beggar’s ticks, goldenrod, boneset, burdock, and "Impatiens" from which the bee's name may come. The bees can eat the raw materials like pollen and nectar of the flowers but most bees in the colony eat honey that is made using the raw materials since it has higher nutritional value. To create honey, the bees consume the pollen and the nectar, and then regurgitate them, mixing them with enzymes in their stomachs. The bees store the honey for winter since during winter months, there will be no flowers from which they can forage raw materials.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHymenoptera
FamilyApidae
GenusBombus
SpeciesB. impatiens
Photographed in
Canada
United States of America