Four-banded Furrow Bee vs American Bumble Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Four-banded Furrow Bee American Bumble Bee
Scientific Name Halictus quadricinctus Bombus pensylvanicus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Halictidae Apidae
Size 14-16 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Grasslands Farmland
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Southern and Central Europe, Western Asia Eastern and central United States, now declining across its range
Conservation Near Threatened Vulnerable

Four-banded Furrow Bee

A large, robust halictid bee with four prominent white hair bands across its dark abdomen. It is one of the biggest sweat bees in Europe.

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Did You Know?

At up to 16 mm long, it is almost as large as a honey bee and dwarfs most other species in its family.

American Bumble Bee

A large bumble bee with a yellow thorax, black band between the wings, and a mostly yellow abdomen. Once one of the most common bumble bees in North America, it has experienced significant population declines.

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Did You Know?

Its populations have declined by nearly 90 percent in some regions, prompting conservation concern across its entire range.