About the Crotch's Bumble Bee
Bombus crotchii, commonly called Crotch's bumble bee or the Golden State bumble bee, is a species of bumblebee named after the entomologist George Robert Crotch. It is classified as endangered due to the impacts of pesticides, climate change, and human development.
Crotch's bumble bee is characterized as a short- or medium- tongue length species. This species could be confused with Bombus californicus or Bombus occidentalis, as they have color patterns similar to Crotch's bumble bee.
Queens and workers (females) have a black head and thorax, with yellow on the dorsal anterior thorax, and sometimes yellow on the scutellum. The first metasomal tergum (T1) of the abdomen is all black or black in the middle portion. T2 is usually yellow, sometimes black medially. T3-5 are black or orange and T6 is black. Queens and workers have a similar appearance, with the main difference being their body size. Queens are 23–24mm long and workers are 14–18mm long.
Males have a slightly different appearance from queens and workers. Their eyes are very large, occupying much of the face. They display yellow hair on their faces, and a broad black stripe mid thorax. The front of the male... Wikipedia →