Fauna
Insect · GBIF taxon 1340324

Great Basin Bumble Bee

Bombus centralis

Also known as Central Bumblebee, Central Bumble Bee

Great Basin bumble bees feature striking rust-red and yellow hair bands across their abdomens, contrasting with a long, narrow face adapted for deep flowers. Queens emerge early in spring to construct solitary underground nests in abandoned rodent burrows before rearing worker daughters to sustain the colony. They serve as critical native pollinators across the arid scrub, sagebrush, and mountain slopes of western North America.

PollinatorFluffyMontane
Great Basin Bumble Bee reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Jared Shorma, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Nectar
  • Pollen
Predators
  • Crab Spiders
  • Robber Flies
  • Western Tanagers
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, pesticide exposure, climate warming, and disease transfer from managed bees
HabitatsSagebrush steppe, arid scrublands, montane meadows, and open pine forests
Life spanQueens live up to 1 year; workers live 2 to 6 weeks
Classification
  1. FamilyApidae
  2. SpeciesBombus centralis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Females can sting defensively if squeezed or swatted; observe gently from a short distance.
Responsible observation
  • Spotting: Look for bright rust-red bands on the abdomen while bees visit deep tubular flowers.
  • Approach: Move smoothly around feeding bees, as they rarely sting while actively foraging.
  • Gardening: Plant native penstemons, legumes, and composites to provide continuous spring-to-fall floral resources.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…