The Western Bumble Bee was once among the most abundant bumble bees in the western United States but suffered a catastrophic population collapse in the late 1990s following commercial rearing for greenhouse tomato pollination, which spread a fungal pathogen. It is now federally proposed for endangered listing. It has yellow-and-black banding with a distinctive white tail.
Best time to see a Western Bumble Bee
The best time to see a Western Bumble Bee is July–August, when about 69% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 1,602 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Western Bumble Bee? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Western Bumble Bee sightings near you
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