Content
The differences between a bumblebee and a bee are in appearance and lifestyle. The bumblebee of the genus Hymenoptera is a close relative of the bee, belonging to the same species. The distribution range of insects is North America, Europe, Eurasia, almost all regions except Antarctica. The photo of a bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) and a bee (Apis mellifera) clearly shows their visual differences.
What is the difference between a bumblebee and a bee?
Of the representatives of the species, bumblebees are the most cold-resistant; they are able to raise their body temperature to 400 C, due to the rapid contraction of the pectoral muscles. This feature facilitates the spread of insects in colder regions. Early in the morning, even before sunrise, when the air is not warm enough, a bumblebee, unlike a bee, is able to begin collecting nectar.
In bee colonies there is a strict hierarchy and distribution of labor. Males, larger than females, do not perform any other function in the hive, other than reproductive. Drones do not have a stinger. They are expelled from the hive before wintering. Unlike a bumblebee, bees always return to the hive after flying around, but bumblebees may not return to the nest; the connection between representatives of the same family is unstable.
The difference between insects is in the behavior of the queens: a young bee can fly out of the hive and lead away a swarm consisting of young individuals; The bumblebee flies out only in the spring to select a laying site.
In bees, not only females emerge from a clutch of eggs, but also drones, regardless of whether the eggs are fertilized or not. The job of the queen bumblebee is reproduction. In the Apis mellifera family, there are nurse bees; in contrast, in bumblebees, this role is performed by males.
The difference between bees and bumblebees lies in the way the honeycombs are structured; in the former, they have the same volume and are made strictly along the line. Bumblebees have a chaotic arrangement of honeycombs of different sizes. Closed in the form of a cone with honey, the bees are distinguished by a smooth surface. There is also a difference in the building material:
- Apis mellifera has only wax; propolis is used for gluing;
- large insects build honeycombs from wax and moss; propolis is not present.
Unlike bees, bumblebees are not aggressive. Only females are equipped with a sting; males have genitals with a chitinous coating at the end of the abdomen. Females rarely sting, unless there is a serious threat to them. Bites from one individual bumblebee can be numerous, the bee dies after the bite, this is explained by the structure of the sting. The venom of bumblebees is less toxic than that of bees, but more allergenic. Unlike the queen bee, the bumblebee has a sting and it is possible to use it.
The development time of a bee differs from a bumblebee by approximately one week. A bee has a 21-day cycle: egg, larva, prepupa, pupa, adult. The bumblebee does not have a prepupa stage; it takes 14 days to develop to the adult state. The queen bee lays up to 130 thousand eggs per season, while the bumblebee lays only 400 eggs. The density of the bee colony is about 11,500 individuals, and there are no more than 300 bumblebees in the nest.
Summary table of distinctive characteristics between bee representatives:
Characteristics | Bee | Bumblebee |
Size | up to 1.8 cm | 3.5 cm |
Coloring | dark yellow with brown stripes | bright yellow with black spots, black |
Hierarchy | strict | the connection between individuals is unstable |
Life cycle | from 1 month to 1 year | 180 days |
Habitat | tree hollow (in the wild) | earthen holes between stones |
Sting | only females are equipped; after a bite they die | females are capable of stinging repeatedly |
Behavior | aggressive | calm |
Construction of honeycombs | symmetrical made of wax and propolis | disordered of wax and moss |
Large family | up to 12 thousand | no more than 300 |
Wintering
| All bees hibernate except drones | only young queens |
Honey collection | active, for winter reserve | honey is used to feed the offspring; no reserves are made |
Comparison of insects
Insects belong to the same species; bees and bumblebees are radically different. Not only in appearance and body structure, but also in habitat.
By appearance
Visual differences:
- The coloration of bumblebees is more varied than that of bees, this is due to thermoregulation and mimicry. The main species are bright yellow with black chaotic fragments, possibly stripes. Less common are black bumblebees. The entire surface, except the eyes, is covered with thick, long hair.
- Unlike the bumblebee, the color of the bee is dark yellow with pronounced brown stripes along the abdomen. The main background can change depending on the view to darker or lighter, the presence of stripes is constant. The pile is short, poorly visible on the upper part of the abdomen.
- Unlike a bee, a bumblebee has a larger body size. Females reach 3 cm, males - 2.5 cm. The insect's abdomen is rounded without concavity upward or downward. Females are equipped with a smooth, jagged sting, which is retracted after a bite. The poison is non-toxic.
- The bee grows up to 1.8 cm (depending on the species), drones are larger than worker bees. The abdomen is flat, oval, elongated, concave downwards, and the female has a sting at the end. The sting is jagged; after the insect bites, it cannot be removed; it remains in the victim, and the bee dies.
- The head structure of insects is similar, the differences are minor.
- The structure of the wings is the same, the amplitude of movement is circular. Due to the well-developed pectoral muscles of the bumblebee, the wings move more often than those of the bee, so bumblebees fly much faster.
Habitat
Bombus pascuorum tolerates low temperatures well due to its ability to self-heat. The range in the Russian Federation has spread to Chukotka and Siberia. The hot climate is not suitable for insects; bumblebees are practically not found in Australia. This feature distinguishes a bumblebee from a bee. The bee, on the contrary, prefers to settle in regions with a warm climate. In Australia, unlike Bombus pascuorum, there are a large number of species of the insect.
Lifestyle difference:
- Both representatives of bees feed on the nectar of flowers; bumblebees do not give particular preference to a particular type of plant, except for clover; they spend the whole day eating. They return to the nest for a short period of time to feed the queen and bring nectar for the brood.
- Bees take less time to feed themselves; their task is to prepare raw materials for honey.
- Bumblebees build their nests close to the ground in a layer of last year's leaves, in the burrows of small rodents, less often in nests abandoned by birds, among stones. Bees - in hollows of trees, between branches, less often in attics of homes or mountain crevices. Insects do not build nests low to the ground. The difference in the internal arrangement lies in the location of the honeycombs and the building material used.
Quality and chemical composition of honey
Both types of insects produce honey. The bumblebee product differs from the bee product in the concentration of active substances and consistency. Bee honey is much thicker, insects store it for the winter, the volume per colony is much larger, so people use bees to produce bee products. Chemical composition:
- amino acids;
- vitamin compounds;
- glucose;
- minerals.
Due to the higher water content, bumblebee honey has a liquid structure. The number per family is minimal. Does not have long shelf life. At positive temperatures, the fermentation process begins. Bumblebees collect it from a larger variety of plants, so the concentration of the composition is much higher, unlike bees. Compound:
- carbohydrates (fructose);
- proteins;
- amino acids;
- potassium;
- iron;
- zinc;
- copper;
- set of vitamins.
Wintering
Apis mellifera live within a year, all representatives of the hive hibernate (except for drones). Few of the old individuals remain; most die during the honey harvest season. Only working individuals are engaged in preparing honey for the winter. Specially designated honeycombs are completely filled with honey; there should be enough of it until spring.After removing the drones from the nest, the bees clean the wintering area, using propolis to seal all the cracks and the exit passage.
Unlike bees, Bombus pascuorum does not harvest honey. They collect it to feed their offspring. Males and working females take part in the honey collection process. By winter, all adults, except the queens, die. Of the bumblebee females, only young, fertilized ones overwinter. They go into suspended animation and do not feed in winter. From spring the life cycle continues.
Conclusion
The differences between a bumblebee and a bee are in appearance, habitat, distribution of responsibilities within the family, duration of the life cycle, quality and chemical composition of honey. Insect breeding has different functional directions. Large representatives are suitable only for pollination purposes. Bees are used to produce honey; pollination is a secondary task.
