Bombus rufocinctus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Bombus rufocinctus is a species of bumblebee known commonly as the "red-belted bumblebee". It is native to North America where it has a wide distribution across Canada and the western, midwestern, and northeastern United States. It may occur in Mexico.
The queen is 1.6 to 1.8 centimeters long and just under a centimeter wide at the abdomen. It is black with scattered gray and yellowish hairs on the head. The abdomen has many bright yellow hairs and areas of reddish hairs. The worker is 1.1 to 1.2 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen. It is similar to the queen but it may have longer hairs. The male is 1.2 to 1.3 centimeters long and half a centimeter wide at the abdomen. It is mostly black with more yellow on the head and abdomen. This species displays four genetically controlled color polymorphisms: the second and third abdominal terga may have red or black hairs, and the fourth and fifth may be either yellow or black.
This small, short-tongued bee lives in and around wooded areas and it can be found in urban parks and gardens. It feeds on several kinds of plants, including chicories, snakeroots, strawberries, gumweeds, sunflowers, goldenrods, clovers, vetches, and goldeneyes. It usually nests on or above ground level. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Belted Bumble Bee sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 72nd most-seen of the 191 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-Belted Bumble Bee in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-Belted 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.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Red-Belted Bumble Bee sightings, Rocky Mountain National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Grand Teton National Park (United States, about 10%) and Yellowstone National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Bombus
The closest relatives of the Red-Belted Bumble Bee that you can see in Rocky Mountain National Park (genus Bombus, Bumble Bees) are Hunt's Bumble Bee (about 10%), Nevada Bumble Bee (about 10%) and Colorado Black-Notched Bumble Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-Belted Bumble Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Rocky Mountain National Park (19 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
