Bombus mendax

Bombus mendax is a species of bumblebee. It is native to Europe, where it occurs in Andorra, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.^[1]

Bombus mendax
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Apidae
Genus:	Bombus
Subgenus:	Mendacibombus
Species:	B. mendax
Binomial name
Bombus mendax Gerstäcker, 1869

This is an uncommon species. It lives in high mountains in the Alps and the Pyrenees. It occurs in alpine and subalpine climates, often in grassland habitat.^[1] It often creates its nests in burrows abandoned by rodents such as the European pine vole (Microtus subterraneus).^[2] It feeds at many kinds of flowers, especially those with long corollas.^[1]

This species may become more rare as climate change causes available high-mountain habitat to shrink.^[1]

References

1. Rasmont, P., et al. 2015. Bombus mendax. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 08 March 2016.
2. (in German) Aichhorn A. 1976. Beitrag zur Hummelzucht und zur Biologie von Bombus mendax. Berichte aus dem Haus der Natur, Salzburg 7: 13-29, 2 pls. As cited in: Rasmont, P., Aytekin, A. M, & Kaçar, M. S. (2008). Ousting of the Common Redstart (Aves: Turdidae: Phoenicurus phoenicurus) from its nests by the bumblebee Bombus niveatus vorticosus (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (N.S.). 44:2, 251-255.