Dr. Gabe McNett told me today to that he’s identified 5 different kind of bumble bees at the Prairie Garden Trust (PGT), and that he expects to find more.

Gabe started a broad survey of all insects at the PGT last year. He and his students have a sampling station in the prairie and another one deep in the woods near Hiller’s Creek. Don’t be surprised if you run into one of his students with a butterfly net on one of your walks during the warmer months.

The Bumblebees identified so far:

Two-spotted Bumble Bee (B. bimaculatus)
Brown-belted Bumble Bee (B. griseocollis)
Common Eastern Bumble Bee (B. impatiens)
Black and Gold Bumble Bee (B. auricomis)
American Bumble Bee (B. pensylvanicus)

Dr. McNett is the Chair, Dept. of Biology and Environmental Science at Westminster College in Fulton. His background is in entomology.