Bumble Bees

Slovenia Post issued a set of four  stamps in three single stamp and one in souvenir sheet stamp  that dedicated to the  bumblebees species, e.g: the Red-tailed bumblebee or Bombus lapidarius, the  Common carderbee or Bombus pascuorum , the  Brown-banded carder-bee or Bombus humilis , the  White-tailed bumble-bee or  Bombus  lucorum on September 28, 2012.

Red-tailed bumblebee or Bombus lapidarius is one of the larger bumblebees in Slovenia. It is covered with black and, at the end of its abdomen, red hairs. They have a medium long tongue, 10-14 mm.

These bees prefer to nest underground and the base of dry stone dykes and walls are popular locations. The size of the nest can vary considerably from over 200 bees to less than 100.

Colonies are strong, with 100 to 300 individuals.Workers fly to forage,as far as several kilometres from the nest. They pollinate over 200 species of,plant, including many cultivated ones such as fruit trees and clover.

Common carderbee or Bombus pascuorum is a medium sized bumble-bee, covered with pale reddish-brown, grey-black,and/or yellow-brown hairs. Its tongue is between 13 and 15 mm long.

The development of the colony takes a long time. Nests are medium sized  with 60 to 150 workers that fly out to forage even in cold weather.

Common carder-bee is the most widespread,species in Slovenia, ranging up to 1,700,m above sea level. It makes nests,mainly on the surface in forests, by bushes in meadows, in birds’ nests ,non-residential buildings and similar.

 

Brown-banded carder-bee  or Bombus humilis is a smaller bumblebee covered in grey and/or black hairs, and the queen bee and males can also have brown hairs.

 

Most are black with less grey individuals and very few brown ones. The tongue is 12 to 14 mm long.

Up to around 100 workers can live in the nest. Nests are made in sunny grassy areas usually in grassy turf; they have been observed at around 1,100 m above sea level.

Bombus humilis are highly endangered in lowland areas owing to mechanized mowing. They are typical pollinators of fruit trees, shrubs,and meadow flowers. They are very fast in foraging on flowers faster than the majority of other bumblebees and of course faster than bees.

 

 

The white-tailed bumblebee or Bombus  lucorum is one of the most beautiful of Slovenia’s,bumblebees. Their bodies are covered,in black, yellow and white hairs. They have a very short tongue  8-10 mm, so in longer-tubed flowers they get to the nectar by cutting through the base of the corolla and finding the desired food through the tiny hole.

They live both in lowlands and mountains up to approximately 2,000 metres above sea level. Nests can be found in meadowlands fields, forests and by the banks of rivers. The plants that it most commonly frequents are spring heath.

28.09.2012