Bombus sylvarum
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Scientific classification 
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| Binomial name | |
| Template:Taxon infoTemplate:Taxon italics Linnaeus, 1761
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Bombus sylvarum, the shrill carder bee or knapweed carder-bee, is a species of bumblebee with a wide distribution across Europe, east to the Ural Mountains, and north to Great Britain, Ireland, and southern Scandinavia.
It is called the "shrill carder" because the pitch of its buzzing is more shrill than other bees and it is a carder bee – making its nest by carding material into a fabric.[1]
Description
It is a small bumblebee; queens are 16–18 mm (0.63–0.71 in) long and female workers are 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in). It is mostly pale yellowish in colour with a black band across the thorax, two black bands across the abdomen, and an orange tip to the abdomen. It flies rapidly and queens produce a high-pitched buzz.
Behaviour
The flight period lasts from about April to September. The queen bee emerges from hibernation in the spring. She makes a nest on or slightly below the surface of the ground among open vegetation. An old mouse or vole nest may be used. By summer, the nest may contain around 100 worker bees. Each nest requires about 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi) of suitable habitat.
It occurs in herb-rich grassland where it feeds on nectar and pollen from a variety of flowers, especially ones that are complex or have long corollae. Important food plants include knapweed, woundwort, clover, vetch, red bartsia, and narrow-leaved bird's-foot trefoil.
Status and conservation
It is threatened by habitat loss and intensification of agriculture and is declining in numbers across Europe. In the United Kingdom, it was common until the early 20th century, but is now restricted to a few small areas in southern England and south and west Wales.[2][3] The species is included in the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan. It is also an endangered species in Ireland.[4]
Gallery
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Worker -
Worker -
Queen -
Male
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References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Shrill carder bee | The Wildlife Trusts". www.wildlifetrusts.org. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Aitken, Catriona (6 August 2025). "First rare bumblebee spotted at nature reserve". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Pembrokeshire Coast Wildlife". Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Seeing is bee-lieving: Bid to Save Threatened Bee Species in Ireland". BBC News. September 17, 2015.
Further reading
- Edwards, Mike & Martin Jenner (2005) Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain & Ireland, Ocelli. Template:ISBN.
External links
- UKBAP: Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum)
- ARKive. Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum). Accessed 18 December 2008.
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