Feb 13, 2019
Bombus auricomus. An interesting bumble bee.ย
One, that in the East, often seems to show up more often in urban areas than outside of cities.ย
It is uncommon and a surprisingly tricky look-a-like to B. pensylvanicus (note singular "n"). I have both in my yard, which is rural, and I believe it is because I emphasize planting big yellow composites, thistles, and other such late season bloomers...plants that seem to disappear from our over mown roadsides and farm edges these days. This one from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected at Morris Arboretum by Stephanie Wilson
