This is a rather attractive species which is quite unlike many of the European species in terms of its colouration. The combination of white bands and a red tail are very striking and unusual compared to the common bumblebees of northern Europe. Indeed there are several similar species which share this colour pattern in Anatolia, where I observed it in good numbers. Subtle differences in the colour pattern and morphological characteristics when viewed under a microscope can help determine it. The from which occurs in the Balkans, Greece and lower altitude areas of Turkey has pale yellow rather than white hairs.

Distribution: Found in the Balkans and Greece as far north as Serbia. It is common and widespread at moderate altitudes in Turkey.

Flight Period: Primarily between May and September.

Habitat: The yellow ‘vorticosus‘ form occurs in hilly areas of open woodland, scrub and dry grassland. The white ‘niveatus‘ prefers higher altitudes of open steppe, rocky grassland, scrub and subalpine meadows.

Flowers Visited: Visits a wide range of flowers including Cotton Thistle, vetches, restharrows, Viper’s-Bugloss, buglosses and various other flowers.

Personal Records: I have encountered the white form of this species in impressive numbers on the western slope of Erciyes Dağı in central Anatolia. There were many workers found primarily on Onopordum sp. thistles among the montane steppe, with several males basking on bare stones waiting for queens.