Bombus confusus
Bombus confusus is a medium sized black bumblebee, with the last segment in matte red. Very short, downy hair. In males, the hair is even shorter and matched.
Queens length: 17-19 mm.
Length of workers and males 13 to 16 mm.
Head, torax, T1, T2 and T3 are black.The rest of the gaster is matte red.
IUCN has catalogued Bombus confusus as Vulnerable. According to criteria B1ab (IV, V) and C2a (I)
Conservation actions:
-
Identifying areas of current presence
species. - Habitat conservation.
- Populations monitoring and control.
- Area protection.
- Preservation of native vegetation.
-
Regulating the use of the
high mountain.
Major threat of Bombus confusus is the loss and fragmentation of habitat caused by ongoing human population expansion. Moreover, the human impact has even reached high mountain in the Pyrenees (tourism, recreation, sporting use).
Females: Slightly elongated head because the malar space is rectangular. Rounded labral tubercles, very dotted (especially in the center of the labrum). Very sculpted, width and shallow labral groove, Wide and developed labral blade. Discreet, long and very dotted clypeus. Poorly demarcated impressions formed by thin apical pits with some big pits therebetween. Front with fine and dense stippling, with defined bright areas and with dotted thin band along the inner margin of the eyes. Short antennas. A3 longer than A 4+5 and A4, approximately as A5. Non thorny basitarsus of middle legs. On hind legs, very bright and triangular tibia, with only reticulum near the basket and only with hair in the proximal area. Wide and robust basitarsus. T6's dorsal surface slightly grainy. Darkened wings.
Genitalia: narrow sting's case's external projections. Internal projections also very narrow.
Males: elongated body. Short head, with a reduced transversed malar space. very big eyes. Jaw with a long and thick beard. Convex clypeus. Short antennas. Parallel side basitarsus of middle legs, slightly converging in the distal region. On hind legs, Robust, wide tiba, with convex dorsal region. The tibia is covered with short hairs. The basitarsus is thinned at the base. E6 slightly thickened at the end with the edge up.
Genitalia: small. finger-sagittae extended in one lateral edge. Very wide and shor spathe. Very wide stipes.Escuamas formed by two rounded sheets. J-shaped volselas.
Bombus confusus is distributed throughout Central Europe. In Spain, is located in the Pyrenees, from 600 to 1500 meters.
Potential distribution map at the present time
Potential distribution map in 2050 with the same level of pollution emission and the climate changes consequence of these contamination levels
Map legend
Maps are made with GBIF data of this specie in Iberian Peninsula
Bombus confusus is a social and pollinator species, whose queens emerge in April. Once they have emerged build an underground nest.
Flight period: from April to October.
Bombus confusus lives in open forests of Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Ericaceae.