Williams, Paul H., Robbin W. Thorp, Leif L. Richardson, and Sheila R. Colla. Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wpzr9.

- has the best modern color guides for identification of both sexes, microscopic identification characters, range and natural history notes.

Give it a common name of Hunt Bumble Bee.

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Hunt bumble bee

Status: common

Select food plant genera: Cirsium, Phacelia, Lupinus, Rudbeckia, Melilotus, Penstemon

Tongue Length: Medium

Distribution: Sierra-Cascade Crest east to the Colorado, Rocky Mountains and Black Hills; south into New Mexico and Arizona; north into Canada

Can be confused with B. bifarius, B. sylvicola, B. melanopygus, and B. rufocinctus

Thorax anterior to distinct black band between wing bases yellow, scutellum, T1 and T4 yellow, T2-3 orange, T5 black.

Mid leg basitarsus with the distal posterior corner rounded. Cheek length as long as broad. Hair of the face and top of head completely yellow. On the side of the thorax, the lower anterior surface with yellow hair, corbicular fringes black. Hair length medium and even.

This handsome species is confined to the westernmost counties of Nebraska, where it is relatively abundant.

Females: Head hairs black with abundant white to yellow pile surrounding antennae fossae and vertex with abundant yellow pile; thorax with sides yellow above and anteriorly, black on lower and posterior parts, dorsum yellow with a broad interalar band of black, scutellum without black h airs; tergum 1 with yellow hairs; terga 2 and 3 with orange or orange-red h air bands (rarely faded to dull yell ow-orange); tergum 4 with yellow hairs; terga 5 and 6 with black pile; legs with h airs black; malar space about as long medially as broad; ocelli placed on supraorbital line.

Males: Head with h airs yellow, black often between apices of compound eyes and on upper gular areas; thorax with hairs yellow except interalar band of black which is often reduced to large posteromedian patch of black on mesoscutum; tergum 1 with yellow pile; terga 2 and 3 with orange or orange-red pile; terga 4 and 5 with yellow pile (tergum 5 often with black pile medially or apicomedially); terga 6 and 7 with black pile, often pale laterally; legs with hairs black, outer surfaces tibiae bare apicomedially or almost so; eyes not swollen; ocelli placed on supraorbital line; malar space about as long as broad; first flagellar segment distinctly shorter than third, slightly longer than second. Dates Collected. Queens have been taken as early as May 24 (Monroe Canyon) and as late as August 28 (Harrison), but chiefly in May. ·workers have been taken from May 28 (Monroe Canyon) until September 2 (Sidney), but chiefly in July and August. Males have been taken from Au gust 13 (Monroe Canyon) until August 29 (Fort Robinson). Flower Records. The following records were taken from 78 specimens representing 41 collection s. From these data it seems that Bombus huntii in Nebraska prefers bull-mints (Monarda spp.), milkvetches (As tragalus spp.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in that order. Astragalus sp., A. adsurgens Campanula sp., Cirsium sp., Cleome sp., C. serrulata, Erysimum asperium, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Helianthus sp., H . petiolaris, Lithospermum sp ., Medicago sativa, Melilotus sp., Monarcla sp., Petalostemum sp., Solanum rostratum.

Nests of this species are discussed by Medler (1959) and Hobbs (1967b).

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