Common Eastern Bumble Bee vs Yellow-billed Pintail

Bombus impatiens compared with Anas georgica

Key Differences

  • Common Eastern Bumble Bee is Least Concern while Yellow-billed Pintail is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Common Eastern Bumble Bee Yellow-billed Pintail
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Insecta (Insects) Aves (Birds)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps) Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family Apidae (Bees) Anatidae
Genus Bombus Anas
Species Bombus impatiens Anas georgica

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Eastern Bumble Bee and Yellow-billed Pintail share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

LC — Least Concern

Yellow-billed Pintail

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Common Eastern Bumble Bee Yellow-billed Pintail
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.

Yellow-billed Pintail

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Yellow-billed Pintail

Yellow-billed Pintail (Anas georgica) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

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