Great Yellow Bumblebee vs Common Furrow Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Yellow Bumblebee Common Furrow Bee
Scientific Name Bombus distinguendus Halictus rubicundus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Halictidae
Size 15-22mm 9-11 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Underground
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Europe, North America, Asia
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Great Yellow Bumblebee

A large strikingly yellow bumblebee with a band of darker hair. One of the rarest bumblebees in Britain.

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Did You Know?

Now restricted to a few Scottish islands and the far north coast, having disappeared from 80 percent of its range.

Common Furrow Bee

A widespread sweat bee found across the Northern Hemisphere that displays flexible social behavior. In warmer regions they are primitively eusocial; in colder climates they are solitary.

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Did You Know?

They switch between solitary and social lifestyles depending on latitude and climate, making them key to studying social evolution.