American Bumble Bee vs Buff tailed bumblebee

Bombus pensylvanicus compared with Bombus terrestris

Key Differences

• American Bumble Bee is Vulnerable while Buff tailed bumblebee is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American Bumble Bee	Buff tailed bumblebee
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)	Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family same	Apidae (Bees)	Apidae (Bees)
Genus same	Bombus	Bombus
Species	Bombus pensylvanicus	Bombus terrestris

Evolutionary Relationship

American Bumble Bee and Buff tailed bumblebee share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Bombus.

Conservation Status

American Bumble Bee

VU — Vulnerable

Buff tailed bumblebee

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American Bumble Bee	Buff tailed bumblebee
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Bumble Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Buff tailed bumblebee

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan, Sri Lanka), Europe (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile).

American Bumble Bee

The American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) is a species in the genus Bombus. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Buff tailed bumblebee

The Buff Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) is a species in the genus Bombus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm. Populations are als