A bumblebee feeding on the nectar of a wild garlic flower in the uk. A bumblebee also written bumble bee is a member of the genus Bombus, part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera e.g., Calyptapis are known from fossils. Over 250 species of bumblebee are known.[1] They are found primarily in higher altitudes or latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are also found in South America where a few lowland tropical species have been identified. European bumblebees have also been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania. The brood parasitic or cuckoo bumblebees have sometimes been classified as a subgenus or genus, Psithyrus, but are now usually treated as members of Bombus.
|
