Bumble Bees of Montana
Bombus (Bombus) terricola Kirby, 1837 Yellow-Banded Bumble Bee
The range of B. terricola extends from New England and eastern Canada north and west through the Great Plains and Black Hills to British Columbia and the Yukon Territory (Williams et al. 2014). Though previously common in the eastern U.S., this species has been in decline throughout parts of its range and is considered rare in the western U.S. (Koch et al. 2012, Williams et al. 2014). It has been recommended by the IUCN Red List for “Vulnerable” status (Hatfield et al. 2015e). Bombus terricola is one of the most rarely collected Montana bumble bees.
Recorded Montana Distribution
Diagnosis
Bombus terricola has a cheek that is shorter than wide and a hair pattern of abdominal T1: black, T2 and T3: yellow, T4: black, T5 and T6: black or yellow. This species is most easily confused with B. occidentalis and B. cryptarum. However, in B. occidentalis, T2 has at least some black and in B. cryptarum (which has not been recorded from Montana, but may be here), T3 is black.