Bumble bees of North America : an identification guide / Paul H. Williams, Robbin W. Thorp, Leif L. Richardson & Sheila R. Colla.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, Paul H. (Paul Hugh), author.

Contributor:

Thorp, Robbin W., 1933-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bumblebees--United States--Identification.

Bumblebees.

Bumblebees--Canada--Identification.

Bumblebees--United States--Geographical distribution.

Bumblebees--Canada--Geographical distribution.

United States.

Canada.

Genre:

Field guides

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Other Title:

Bumblebees of North America

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2014.

Summary:

More than ever before, there is widespread interest in studying bumble bees and the critical role they play in our ecosystems. Bumble Bees of North America is the first comprehensive guide to North American bumble bees to be published in more than a century. Richly illustrated with color photographs, diagrams, range maps, and graphs of seasonal activity patterns, this guide allows amateur and professional naturalists to identify all 46 bumble bee species found north of Mexico and to understand their ecology and changing geographic distributions. The book draws on the latest molecular research, shows the enormous color variation within species, and guides readers through the many confusing convergences between species. It draws on a large repository of data from museum collections and presents state-of-the-art results on evolutionary relationships, distributions, and ecological roles. Illustrated keys allow identification of color morphs and social castes.

Contents:

Introduction

Observing bumble bees

Attracting bumble bees

Bumble bee forage guide by ecoregion

Maps and seasonal activity

Bumble bee decline and conservation

Threats to bumble bees

Natural enemies

Mimicry

Distinguishing bumble bees from other insects

Bumble bee names and classification

How to use this book to identify bumble bee species

Species accounts

Square-or long-cheeked bees with a rounded angle on the midleg

Short-cheeked bees with a rounded angle on the midleg

Medium- or long-cheeked bees with a sharp angle on the midleg

Hindleg (tibia) with the outer surface uniformly convex and densely hairy (cuckoo bumble bees, no workers).

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCOhost, viewed July 8, 2026).

ISBN:

9781400851188

1400851181

130641427X

9781306414272

OCLC:

870087071

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license