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Bumble Bees (Bombus)

65 species in Europe, in the family Apidae. 14 of them are listed as threatened on the European Red List.

Family Apidae65 species
65
Species in Europe
14
Threatened (CR, EN or VU)
2
Too little data to assess (DD)
34
Crops on which species were recorded

How the species are doing

Distribution of the species over the categories of the European Red List of Bees (2026). Not assessed means: no European assessment in the source, often because the species only occurs at the edge of Europe.

  • CR Critically endangered: 1
  • EN Endangered: 1
  • VU Vulnerable: 12
  • NT Near threatened: 12
  • LC Least concern: 34
  • DD Data deficient: 2
  • NA Not applicable (not native or vagrant): 1
  • - Not assessed: 2

Scale, from severe to not threatened: CR critically endangered, EN endangered, VU vulnerable, NT near threatened, LC least concern. DD: data deficient.

When the visitors fly

Number of species flying per month, according to the flight calendar from open records in Europe. A species counts in every month it flies.

Crops these bees visit

Crops and other plants with an EPPO code on which species from this group were recorded.

CropDepends on pollinatorsSpecies from this groupRecords
RapeseedBrassica napusmodest (10-39%)15336
Red raspberryRubus idaeusgreat (40-89%)12112
BilberryVaccinium myrtillusgreat (40-89%)11116
BlackthornPrunus spinosagreat (40-89%)1077
Common sunflowerHelianthus annuusmodest (10-39%)9107
Briar roseRosa caninagreat (40-89%)995
Broad beanVicia fabamodest (10-39%)967
AppleMalus domesticagreat (40-89%)841
Black mustardBrassica nigramodest (10-39%)712
PeaLathyrus oleraceusnone613
Black elderSambucus nigramodest (10-39%)613
White mustardSinapis albamodest (10-39%)68
Highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosumgreat (40-89%)55
BuckwheatFagopyrum esculentumgreat (40-89%)49
Garden strawberryFragaria ananassamodest (10-39%)44
Black currantRibes nigrummodest (10-39%)38
Sweet cherryPrunus aviumgreat (40-89%)37
PlumPrunus domesticagreat (40-89%)37
FlaxLinum usitatissimumlittle (1-9%)36
Common juniperJuniperus communisunknown35
Sour cherryPrunus cerasusgreat (40-89%)33
Common mountain ashSorbus aucupariaessential (90-100%)33
French beanPhaseolus vulgarislittle (1-9%)24
FennelFoeniculum vulgaregreat (40-89%)23
Tree-strawberryArbutus unedomodest (10-39%)16
QuinceCydonia oblongaunknown14
Common pearPyrus communisgreat (40-89%)14
TurnipBrassica rapagreat (40-89%)13
AzaroleCrataegus azaroluslittle (1-9%)12
TomatoSolanum lycopersicumlittle (1-9%)12
LemonCitrus limonlittle (1-9%)11
CucumberCucumis sativusgreat (40-89%)11
PumpkinCucurbita pepoessential (90-100%)11
Common medlarMespilus germanicagreat (40-89%)11

All species in Europe

SpeciesRed List EuropeFliesOnly in Europe
Bombus alpinusVU Vulnerable Jun - Augyes
Bombus argillaceusLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Bombus armeniacusEN Endangeredno data
Golden-belted Bumble BeeBombus balteatusNT Near threatened Jun - Aug
Bombus barbutellusLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble BeeBombus bohemicusLC Least concern May - Aug
Bombus brodmannicusNT Near threatenedno data
Bombus campestrisLC Least concern May - Sep
Bombus cingulatusNT Near threatened May - Jul
Bombus confususVU Vulnerable Apr - Sep
Bombus consobrinusNT Near threatened Jun - Aug
Cryptic Bumble BeeBombus cryptarumLC Least concern Apr - Sep
Cullum's bumblebeeBombus cullumanusCR Critically endangered Apr - Sep
Bombus deuteronymusDD Data deficient Jun - Sep
Northern Yellow Bumble BeeBombus distinguendusVU Vulnerable May - Aug
Fernald Cuckoo Bumble BeeBombus flavidusLC Least concern Jun - Aug
Bombus fragransVU Vulnerable Jan - Aug
Bombus gerstaeckeriNT Near threatened Jul - Sep
Bombus glacialisVU Vulnerableno data
Bombus haematurusLC Least concern Mar - Jul
Small garden bumblebeeBombus hortorumLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Brown-banded carder beeBombus humilisLC Least concern May - Sep
High Arctic Bumble BeeBombus hyperboreusVU Vulnerable Jun - Aug
Bombus hypnorumLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Bombus inexspectatusNT Near threatenedno datayes
Bombus jonellusLC Least concern May - Sep
Bombus laesusVU Vulnerable May - Sep
Bombus lapidariusLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Bombus lapponicusNT Near threatened Jun - Aug
White-tailed bumblebeeBombus lucorumNT Near threatened Apr - Augyes
Northern white-tailed bumblebeeBombus magnusLC Least concern Apr - Sepyes
Bombus mastrucatus- Not assessedno data
Bombus mendaxLC Least concern Jun - Augyes
Bombus mesomelasLC Least concern May - Aug
Bombus mlokosievitziiDD Data deficientno data
Bombus modestusVU Vulnerableno data
Bombus monticolaLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Bombus mucidusLC Least concern Jun - Augyes
Bombus muscorumVU Vulnerable May - Sep
Bombus niveatusLC Least concern Jun - Jul
Bombus norvegicusLC Least concern May - Aug
Common carder bumblebeeBombus pascuorumLC Least concern Apr - Sep
Bombus patagiatusNT Near threatenedno data
Bombus perezi- Not assessedno data
Bombus pomorumVU Vulnerable Apr - Sep
Early bumblebeeBombus pratorumLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Bombus pyrrhopygusVU Vulnerable Jun - Aug
Bombus quadricolorLC Least concern Jun - Sep
Bombus ruderariusLC Least concern May - Aug
Large garden bumblebeeBombus ruderatusLC Least concern Jan - Sep
Bombus rupestrisLC Least concern May - Sep
Bombus saltuariusNA Not applicable (not native or vagrant)no data
Bombus schrenckiLC Least concern May - Aug
Bombus semenoviellusLC Least concern May - Aug
Bombus sicheliiLC Least concern Jul - Sep
Broken-belted bumblebeeBombus soroeensisLC Least concern Jun - Sep
Bombus sporadicusNT Near threatened Jun - Aug
Short-haired bumblebeeBombus subterraneusNT Near threatened May - Aug
Shrill carder beeBombus sylvarumLC Least concern May - Sep
Bombus sylvestrisLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Buff-tailed bumblebeeBombus terrestrisLC Least concern Mar - Aug
Vestal cuckoo beeBombus vestalisLC Least concern Apr - Aug
Bombus veteranusNT Near threatened May - Sep
Bombus wurfleniiLC Least concern Jun - Aug
Bombus zonatusVU Vulnerable May - Sep

Sources

This page only uses sources with an open licence. The bee database itself contains more records, from sources for which permission is still pending.

  1. Vliegperiode per maand, afgeleid uit BeeBDC-waarnemingen met open licentie (CC0 / CC BY)
    FairGrow (afgeleid) · version 1.3.4 · licence CC BY 4.0 (afgeleid uit CC0 / CC BY)
    Afgeleid door FairGrow uit: Dorey, J. B. et al. (2023). A globally synthesised and flagged bee occurrence dataset and cleaning workflow. Scientific Data 10: 747. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02626-w. Cleaned database v1.3.4 (2024-02-15), Figshare. Kleinste maandvenster met 90% van de waarnemingen, minimaal 20 records.
    doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02626-w
  2. Bij-plantinteracties: EuPPollNet via GloBI (CC BY 4.0)
    GloBI / Big Bee · version 7.0 · licence CC BY 4.0
    Lanuza, J. B. et al. (2025). EuPPollNet: a European database of plant-pollinator networks. Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.15183272 (CC BY 4.0), via Seltmann, K. et al. / Big Bee project and GloBI (2025). Global Bee Interaction Data v7.0. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17957582. Underlying data: Global Biotic Interactions (Poelen et al. 2014).
    doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17957582
  3. Bij-plantinteracties: DoPI via GloBI (CC BY 4.0)
    GloBI / Big Bee · version 7.0 · licence CC BY 4.0
    Balfour, N. J. et al. Database of Pollinator Interactions (DoPI). Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.15224385 (CC BY 4.0), via Seltmann, K. et al. / Big Bee project and GloBI (2025). Global Bee Interaction Data v7.0. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17957582. Underlying data: Global Biotic Interactions (Poelen et al. 2014).
    doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17957582
  4. Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), tab-delimited version
    Zenodo / Discover Life · version v57.0 · licence CC-BY-4.0
    Ascher, J. S. and J. Pickering. 2024. Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila). http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?guide=Apoidea_species Draft-57, 27 February, 2024
    doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19954082
  5. BeeBDC beesChecklist: country checklist of the world's bees (Discover Life), 2026-01-12
    Flinders University / Figshare · version 2026-01-12 · licence CC BY 4.0
    Dorey, J. B. et al. (2023). A globally synthesised and flagged bee occurrence dataset and cleaning workflow. Scientific Data 10: 747. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02626-w; beesChecklist 2026-01-12 (Figshare, CC BY 4.0), based on the Discover Life country checklist (Ascher & Pickering).
    doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02626-w
  6. European Red List of Bees (2026), Appendix 1: Red List status at Pan-Europe and EU27 levels
    Publications Office of the European Union / IUCN · version 2026 · licence CC BY 4.0
    Michez, D. et al. (2026). European Red List of Bees. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2779/521877 (CC BY 4.0). Appendix 1.
    doi.org/10.2779/521877
  7. Wikidata: taxon common names (P1843) and labels of bee species
    Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata · version SPARQL 2026-10-18 · licence CC0 1.0
    Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, taxon common names (P1843) and labels, retrieved 2026-10-18. https://www.wikidata.org (CC0).
    www.wikidata.org

Other groups in the family Apidae

Nomad Bees (Nomada)EuceraAnthophoraSmall Carpenter Bees (Ceratina)MelectaTetraloniellaEpeolusAmegillaAmmobatesThyreusCarpenter Bees (Xylocopa)AncylaAmmobatoidesHabropodaBiastesHoney bees (Apis)

Which bees fly around your field?

In the FairGrow bee database you see the species in the cells around your own fields and apiaries, with flight weather and forage landscape.

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