Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus sylvestris)

Forest cuckoo bumblebees are found in most habitats throughout the UK including gardens, parks, and the wider countryside. In areas where their host species the Early bumblebee, the Heath bumblebee, and the Bilberry bumblebee are present.

Females have a strong yellow band at the front of the thorax, a fainter yellow band on the abdomen, and a white tail. Males show the same pattern but the tip of their tails exhibit some red hairs. All cuckoo bumblebees have darker wing membranes, hairy hind legs with no pollen baskets, and sparser hair. Forest Cuckoo Bumblebees have a short tongue, often feeding on thistle and scabious flowers. Those rarely found in northern Scotland have a yellow abdomen instead of white.

• You can send in whole dead specimens, or samples such as cocoons, pupa, or meconium (the waste product of the larvae).
• The fresher the samples are, the better they will be for analysis. Please provide as much sample as possible. Specimens may be frozen or preserved in absolute ethanol to slow the degradation of DNA.
• Samples can be taken using a biological sampling kit or using your own secure containers/resources.