Early Bumblebee

Description:

The Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) is a small species of bumblebee, which is common in the Netherlands.
Early Bumblebees, like the Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), have two yellow bands, but with a red/orange rear part instead of white.
These yellow bands can also be less clear or even completely missing, especially with the females (worker bees).
Male Early Bumblebees have clearly more yellow hair (head, rear edge of the thorax and large parts of the abdomen) than the females.
The Early Bumblebee resembles the Red-shanked Bumblebee (Bombus ruderarius), but the Red-shanked Bumblebee has rusty brown instead of black hairs on its legs.

In my yard, Hilversum, The Netherlands, 24 June 2013

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