Two-Spotted Bumble Bee

Two-Spotted Bumble Bee

Bombus bimaculatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

1,882 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]
341 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Two-Spotted Bumble Bee

The two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus) is a species of social bumble bee found in the eastern half of the United States and the adjacent south-eastern part of Canada. In older literature this bee is often referred to as Bremus bimaculatus, Bremus being a synonym for Bombus. The bee's common name comes from the two yellow spots on its abdomen. Unlike many of the other species of bee in the genus Bombus, B. bimaculatus is not on the decline, but instead is very stable. They are abundant pollinators that forage at a variety of plants.

Bombus bimaculatus is in the subgenus Pyrobombus, which is closely related to the subgenera Alpinobombus and Bombus out of the 15 total. Within Pyrobombus, B. bimaculatus is most closely related to B. monticola, B. sylvicola, and B. lapponicus. Additionally, B. bimaculatus can oftentimes be confused with B. impatiens and B. griseocollis, as their colorations are very similar.

Bombus bimaculatus was first described by Ezra Townsend Cresson, an American entomologist, in 1863. Workers look very similar to queens, with the two mainly distinguished by size. Sometimes large workers can be mistaken for... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
2 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
6 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Two-Spotted Bumble Bee in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Two-Spotted Bumble Bee sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 1,882 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 672 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Two-Spotted Bumble Bee in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

July

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Two-Spotted Bumble Bee in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, against under 5% in September to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Two-Spotted Bumble Bee?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Two-Spotted Bumble Bee sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Two-Spotted Bumble Bee?

Yes

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Two-Spotted Bumble Bee sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Boston (United States, about 20%) and Chicago (United States, about 20%).

Where does the Two-Spotted Bumble Bee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Two-Spotted Bumble Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (1,882 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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