Common Carder Bee vs Brimstone
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Common Carder Bee | Brimstone |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bombus pascuorum | Gonepteryx rhamni |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Apidae | Pieridae |
| Size | 9-18 mm | 52-60 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Underground | Heathland |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Western Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe | Europe, Asia, North Africa |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Common Carder Bee
A fluffy ginger-brown bumblebee that builds nests on the ground surface using moss and grass. It has one of the longest flight seasons of any European bumblebee.
Did You Know?
Workers 'card' moss fibres over the nest like wool, which gives the species its common name.
Brimstone
Males are vivid sulphur-yellow; females are pale greenish-white. Leaf-shaped wings provide excellent camouflage at rest.
Did You Know?
The word butterfly may derive from the butter-yellow colour of the Brimstone, one of the earliest to fly.