Bombus ephippiatus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Bombus ephippiatus is a species of bumblebee native to Mexico and Central America. This is a variable species. There are a number of color polymorphisms, with body hairs in shades of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black. Its species boundaries are not entirely clear. Some forms are similar to Bombus wilmattae, which may actually be the same species. There may also be some similar specimens in the area that are an as yet undescribed species.
This bee feeds on many kinds of flowers. It is active year-round in some areas. It generally occupies pine-oak forest and other kinds of mountain forest habitat. Its restriction to high-elevation regions may have produced physical isolation that led to its many color polymorphisms.
It is an efficient pollinator of tomato plants. The overcollection of queens from the wild for use in agricultural operations is a potential threat to the species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 9 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mesoamerican Bumble Bee sighting in Toluca on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 70 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and May
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Mesoamerican Bumble Bee in Toluca on a given day, against under 5% in February and March, the lowest months. Those are among Toluca's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 150 mm in July.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mesoamerican 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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Mesoamerican Bumble Bee sightings, Toluca has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Mexico City (México, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mesoamerican Bumble Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Toluca (19 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.
