Introduction
I was going to write about one of my favourite bumblebees next, but due to the season (early spring) I thought I’d write about a species that starts showing up at this time of year and is actually not all that common in this area (Cabezón de la Sal, Cantabria, Spain).

Early Bumblebee
Bombus pratorum belongs to the subgenus Pyrobombus. The queens are relatively small and one of the earliest to appear each year (as the name might suggest). Queens pop out with regards to colours as the orangey tail makes them look a bit darker and more drab when compared to the whitish tailed bumblebees that are also out. The yellow bands are a crisper colour yellow.

Males are fuzzy balls of yellow, with yellow hairs on their heads and with an orangey tail.
I have yet to see a worker.

The subspecies B. p. santonae can be found on the Iberian peninsula, but I have no idea what the differences are, but it is the only subspecies found here. If I compare my pictures with those found in the Falk link (see below) then here the bees have more extensive yellow bands.
There is conflicting information on this subspecies and I do not really know which is correct. Some sources state that this is a higher altitude species (500m+ above sea level), but I’m at around 100m. However, I do not know which other species it could be (see Complicating Factors below). Furthermore, there are very few pictures on the internet.

The one thing that could help me out it a book called Fauna iberíca. Vol. 23. Hymenpotera: Apoidea 1 by Ortíz-Sánchez and Ornosa, but it is costly and in Spanish.

Sigh, bees are not that well detailed in Spain as butterflies are and information is difficult to obtain. Once I find out more I’ll post a follow-up article, as this one’s pretty poor with regards to actual information! haha

Complicating Factors
So, not only is it difficult to find out what B. p. santonae actually looks like, but apparently the subspecies of the Red-tailed Bumblebee (B. lapidarius), which is called B. l. decipiens, has the same colouration in queens! However, they are also normally found at higher altitudes (apparently) here and queens emerge much later (May). Furthermore, they are bigger, but this is something you can only really pick up once you have gained quite some experience out in the field. After only one summer season, I am still far from that required level.

So, I guess the bumblebees I’m seeing are Bombus pratorum santonae, but at the moment I cannot be 100% certain. All I know is that the UK situation is a lot simpler.

Further Reading
– Here is a link to Steven Falk’s Flickr page, lots of good pictures and basic info. He has a good book out on Bees in GB & Ireland!
– A link to P. Rasmont’s page with a distribution map and some other basic info.
– A link to the Natural History Museum page that gives an overview of the colouration of the Early Bumblebee.
– A link to the IUCN page. Great site.
– The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is a great organisation, especially if you live in the UK, they’ve got a helpful site for the beginner and also a place to upload photos and ID other people’s photos. I’m a member even though I live abroad.
– There’s a cool app for the iPad/iPhone by NatureGuides with great drawings. I’ve got the Pro version which has been a good resource for info.
– Dave Goulson’s A Sting in the Tail is a fun read about the world of bumblebees.
– My sightings to date on Observation.org of this species in Cantabria.