Hi Nigel, take a look at male Bombus sylvestris. The curved brown tail tip is
the clue here. :)

Janet


--- In bwars@yahoogroups.com, "George Gilligan" <gateside.gilligan@...> wrote:
>
> I have created an album "Bombus oddity", with 3 photos so far. I could upload
many more if thought useful (but without broadband, it's difficult).
>
> I saw a bumblebee that was clearly different, & took lots of photos (11th
June). There wasn't just the one, and they kept appearing on the raspberry cane
flowers for about a week. Also variations, plus some almost completely black
bees that I am sure are connected.
> I tried to identify using Ted Benton's ID key, and it failed. I assumed it
was a male BB, but fails regardless of caste.
> I then tried to identify by elimination, trawling through all the Bombus
descriptions, and accounting for all known variations. I used the ginger tail
colour as a key feature, plus extensive white/pale abdomen & other
banding/colour features, and came up with 2 possibilities, neither of which
seems to correctly match. The least best match was B pratorum, the best was B
soroeensis.
> I have looked at the antenna, and looks to me like segments 3 & 4 are short.
> But I would not like to say anything about the hind tarsus.
> I have asked for help from 2 contacts, but have no reply so far. I'm not sure
I will get a reply, so am spreading my net wider in the hope of resolving this.
> I did not want to catch a specimen at the time in case it was a rarety. And
now they are gone!
> I would have thought there was enough clear detail to identify, and can upload
further photos showing key features if thought useful.
> Can anyone help me please?
>
> Thanks.
> Nigel Gilligan.
>