Bumblebee Discovery

By Afra

ABOUT BEE TYPES

• Bumblebees are social insects which form colonies with a single queen; colonies are smaller than those of honey bees , consisting often of fewer than 50 individuals in a nest. Female bumblebees can sting, repeatedly, but generally ignore humans and other animals.

HABBITAT• Bumblebees are typically found in higher latitudes , though

exceptions exist (there are a few lowland tropical species).A few species range into very cold climates where other bees might not be found; B. polaris can be found in northern Ellesmere Island —the northernmost occurrence of any eusocial insect—along with its parasite, hyperboreus One reason for this is that bumblebees can regulate their body temperature , via solar radiation , internal mechanisms of "shivering" and radiative cooling from the abdomen . Other bees have similar physiology , but the mechanisms have been best studied in bumblebees.They adapt to higher elevations by extending their wing stroke amplitude

STING

Queen and worker bumblebees can sting . Unlike a honey bee 's stinger, a bumblebee's stinger lacks barbs, so it can sting repeatedly without injuring itself.Bumblebee species are not normally aggressive, but will sting in defence of their nest, or if harmed. Female cuckoo bumblebees will aggressively attack host colony members, and sting the host queen, but will ignore other animals (e.g. humans) unless disturbed.