| Bumble Bees
are known to everyone and the various species' make up
one of the most familiar group of insects. Whilst some
bees are solitary, Bumble Bees are social insects,
forming small colonies during the Spring and Summer
months. After pairing in the late Summer/Autumn, only the
young Queens survive through the Winter to start new
colonies the following Spring. But there is a seemingly
increasing trend for new colonies to be started by some
species, later the same Autumn after pairing and if
conditions are favourable. Bombus barbutellus seems an
uncommon species in Nottinghamshire. This Queen was
photographed in an open grassy area of Sherwood Forest CP
in April 2010. ID was suspected as being B. jonellus
at the time, but later confirmation that this was
actually the Cuckoo Bee Bombus barbutellus, came
during early 2011.
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