Identifying bumblebees

Similar to the white-tailed bumblebee, but with mustard-yellow bands on the head and thorax. Queens (pictured) can be very large. Workers have a white tail with a faint buff-coloured margin. They're more common in the south of England than the north.

Similar to the buff-tailed bumblebee, but with lemon yellow bands and a white tail. Males, which emerge from June, also have yellow facial hairs. This species visits a wide range of flowers and is more common in the north of England and Scotland.

This species has two yellow bands on the head and one on the thorax. Its tongue is long, so visits flowers with long corollas, such as foxgloves and red clover. Don't confuse it with the white-tailed bumblebee, which only has one band on its head.

Queens (pictured) and workers are very distinctive, with an all-black body and red tail. Males, which emerge from June, have a bright yellow face and one yellow stripe on the body. This species can often be found on yellow flowers, such as bird's foot trefoil.

Generally a small species, with workers varying in size considerably. Almost entirely gingery-brown, with no bands, although some workers (pictured) have more black colouring on the body. They feed from a wide range of flowers, including white dead nettle.

This species has one yellow band on the head and a bright orange tail. It sometimes has a faint yellow band on the body. It visits a wide range of flowers, but is often found visiting flowers of soft fruit, such as blackberries and raspberries.