Franklin's Bumble Bee vs Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Franklin's Bumble Bee Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee
Scientific Name Bombus franklini Hylaeus longiceps
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Colletidae
Size 14-18 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Mountains Beaches & Coastal
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Western United States Oceania (Hawaii)
Conservation Critically Endangered Endangered

Franklin's Bumble Bee

The world's most range-restricted bumble bee, found only in a small area between southern Oregon and northern California. It has not been reliably seen since 2006 and may be extinct.

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Did You Know?

Its entire known range spans only about 190 miles north to south, making it the most geographically restricted bumble bee on Earth.

Hawaiian Yellow-faced Bee

An endemic Hawaiian bee with distinctive yellow facial markings, found in dry coastal and lowland habitats. It nests in hollow plant stems and beetle borings. Hawaiian Hylaeus are the only bees native to the Hawaiian Islands.

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Did You Know?

Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were the first bees in the United States to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, in 2016.