Bumble Bee (Bombus canariensis)

Endemic to the Canary Islands and found throughout, except in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Along with the honey bee (Apis mellifera), Bombus canariensis is a representative in the Canaries of the family Apidae, distinguished by its species’ social behaviour. Bumble bee colonies in the Canaries have three typical castes: workers (14-16 mm), drones (15-17 mm) and queens (20-23 mm). In all cases the bumble bee is sturdy and rotund, and the body is covered with long black downy hairs, with a white stripe at the lower end of the abdomen. The downy hairs allow pollen to stick to the entire body, the long tongue makes it easier to reach deep nectar and broad hind legs serve as a kind of ‘basket’ for transporting pollen. The end result is that the bumble bee is one of the world’s top pollinators.