# Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/buff-tailed-bumblebee  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is an insect in the bee subgroup, belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae and tribe Bombini. It is placed in the order Hymenoptera, suborder Apocrita and superfamily Apoidea, within the class Insecta and phylum Arthropoda. The species was named by (Linnaeus, 1758) and is a living, not extinct species according to the Catalogue of Life.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 1.4 cm – 2.3 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Nectarivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | forest, grassland, human_modified |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Generations a year | One |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | 1 country |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Hymenoptera
- family: Apidae
- genus: Bombus
- species: *Bombus terrestris* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Apis virginalis*, *Bombus virginalis*, *Bremus fasciatus*, *Terrestribombus lucorum terrestriformis*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

Australia

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the buff-tailed bumblebee?

The buff-tailed bumblebee is an insect in the bee subgroup. It belongs to the family Apidae within the order Hymenoptera.

### What is the scientific name of the buff-tailed bumblebee?

Its scientific name is Bombus terrestris, placing it in the genus Bombus.

### Who named Bombus terrestris and when?

The species name is credited to (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Which countries is the buff-tailed bumblebee recorded in?

Checklists record the buff-tailed bumblebee in Australia.

### Is the buff-tailed bumblebee extinct?

No, the buff-tailed bumblebee is a living, not extinct species according to the Catalogue of Life.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/buff-tailed-bumblebee