Ackerhummel vs Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus pascuorum compared with Bombus impatiens

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ackerhummel	Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class same	Insecta (Insekten)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order same	Hymenoptera (Hautflügler)	Hymenoptera (Hautflügler)
Family same	Apidae (Bees)	Apidae (Bees)
Genus same	Bombus	Bombus
Species	Bombus pascuorum	Bombus impatiens

Evolutionary Relationship

Ackerhummel and Common Eastern Bumble Bee share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Bombus.

Conservation Status

Ackerhummel

LC — Least Concern

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ackerhummel	Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ackerhummel

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Mexico and United States.

Ackerhummel

<em>Bombus pascuorum</em>, commonly known as the common carder bee, is a bumblebee species found across Europe, with documented occurrences in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and additional European countries. It typically inhabits all terrestrial and freshwater environments, often foraging across a wide range of flowering plants in meadows, gardens, hedgerows, and farmland. The species is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating a broadly stable global population. Common carder bee belongs to the genus <em>Bombus</em> within the family Apidae and is one of the more widely distributed bumblebee species in Europe. It often nests above ground in dry grass, moss, or other plant material, building compact nests characteristic of carder bees. As a generalist pollinator, it visits a diverse range of flowering species and contributes meaningfully to ecosystem pollination services. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body length, and mass of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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.