Ginger-yellow (uniform-tailed) bumblebees
British bumblebees can be divided into three approximate groups based on the tail colour of the queens, and their rarity status. In this section you will find species with ginger-yellow tails or tails which are uniform in colour to the rest of the bumblebee’s body. Within the section the ‘true’ bumblebee species are ordered according to their approximate commonality nationwide, commonest first, followed by the cuckoo bumblebees.
- Common carder bee
- Moss carder bee
- Brown-banded carder bee
- Great yellow bumblebee
- Field cuckoo bumblebee
Also be aware of: White-tailed bumblebee complex (White-tailed bumblebee, Bombus lucorum; Cryptic bumblebee, Bombus cryptarum; and Northern white-tailed bumblebee, Bombus magnus) males can be extravagantly yellow, but always have white tails. Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum) has a pale orange tail which can blend into the straw-yellow colouration of the abdomen.