Common Eastern Bumble Bee vs Cullum's Humble Bee

Bombus impatiens compared with Bombus cullumanus

Key Differences

• Common Eastern Bumble Bee is Least Concern while Cullum's Humble Bee is Extinct.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Eastern Bumble Bee	Cullum's Humble Bee
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 impatiens	Bombus cullumanus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Eastern Bumble Bee and Cullum's Humble Bee share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Bombus.

Conservation Status

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

LC — Least Concern

Cullum's Humble Bee

EX — Extinct

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Eastern Bumble Bee	Cullum's Humble Bee
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Mexico and United States.

Cullum's Humble Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

<em>Bombus impatiens</em>, the common eastern bumble bee, is a native North American bee in the family Apidae, classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. The species is distributed across Mexico and the United States, typically inhabiting virtually all terrestrial and freshwater biomes within its range, from urban gardens and agricultural landscapes to forests, meadows, and wetland edges. As one of the most abundant and ecologically important pollinators in eastern North America, <em>Bombus impatiens</em> plays a critical role in the pollination of both wild plants and commercial crops, including tomatoes, peppers, and blueberries. It is among the most widely used bumble bee species for commercial greenhouse pollination globally. The species forms annual colonies founded by a single mated queen in early spring, with worker populations typically peaking in midsummer before new queens and males are produced in late summer. Common eastern bumble bees are capable of buzz pollination, or sonication, vibrating their flight muscles at a specific frequency to release pollen from anthers that resist wind or conventional bee pollination. While currently assessed as Least Concern, habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and pathogen spillover from commercial colonies are ongoing concerns for wild populations. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.