Bombus rupestris | |
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Male | |
Female | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Apidae |
Genus: | Bombus |
Subgenus: | Psithyrus |
Species: | B. rupestris |
Binomial name | |
Bombus rupestris (Fabricius, 1793) |
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Synonyms | |
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Bombus rupestris is a species of cuckoo bumblebee present in most of Europe except Iceland and the Balkans. It is also found in Turkey.
The female is much larger than the male; she has a length of 20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in), while the drone usually is not more than 16 mm (0.63 in). The bumblebee is black, with the last abdominal segments coloured orange-red.
Due to its parasitic lifestyle, no workers exist.
Bombus rupestris is found in flower-rich habitats, such as meadows and along hedgerows. The bumblebee parasitizes the nests of the red-tailed bumblebee, B. lapidarius, whose queen is killed or subjugated.