Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
No Local Name
f.APIDAE
Social Bees
Bombus terrestris
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
No Local Name
f.APIDAE
Social Bees
Cook Islands Status Summary
Show Notes
Intl. NamesBuff‑tailed Bumblebee EN Large Earth Bumblebee EN
Local NamesNo Content
Pacific NamesNo Content
Sci. NamesBombus terrestris (accepted name)
, Apis terrestris, Apis virginalis, newFix2025-01Maja
High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Arthropods, spc.Hexapods, c.Insects, spf.Bees and Apoid Wasps, f.Social Bees - Bee
High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.ARTHROPODA, sp.ATELOCERATA, spc.HEXAPODA, c.INSECTA, sc.PTERYGOTA, o.Hymenoptera, so.Apocrita, io.Aculeata, spf.Apoidea, f.APIDAE
Natl. PresencePresent
Sth. PresenceRR+ X?MG?AT?MK?MT?AK?PL?MN?TK?
Nth. PresenceTN?MH?RK?PK?NS?SW?
VouchersRR2025
Local OriginIntroduced; Recent
Global RangeRange: disjunct circumglobal, abundant in w.Europe, Japan - Korea, Tasmania - NZ, Chile;
HabitatLand - Lowlands
ThreatenedNo Content
InvasivenessNo Content
BiosecurityNo Content
Medical StatusNo Content
Harmful StatusNo Content
UsesNo Content
IdentificationA large bumblebee ~2cmBL. COLOUR black with a narrow brown band on the front of the thorax, and a wide brown band mid-abdomen; and a pale posterior.
Similar SpeciesNew Zealand has four bumblebees, but this is the only one with a wide mid-abdominal brown band.
Interest NoteNo Content
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Vernacular Names
Citation Information
McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.04.21 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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