Bombus auricomus

Bombus auricomus is a species of bumblebee known by the common name black and gold bumblebee.^[1] It is native to eastern North America, including Ontario in Canada and much of the eastern United States, as far west as the Great Plains.^[1]

Bombus auricomus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Apidae
Genus:	Bombus
Subgenus:	Bombias
Species:	B. auricomus
Binomial name
Bombus auricomus (Robertson, 1903)

Specimen

This species creates above-ground nests in grassland and other open habitat types. It feeds at many types of plants, including thistles, prairie clovers, delphiniums, teasels, echinacea, bergamot, penstemons, clovers, and vetches.^[1]

This is a fairly large bumblebee; workers and males are about 1.7 to 2.0 cm long, while queens can be up to 2.5 cm in length. ^[2]

This bee was previously thought to be conspecific with the Nevada bumblebee (B. nevadensis), but the two are now considered separate species.^[1]