Bug FAQField Cuckoo Bumble bee
Bombus campestris · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Apidae
Also called: Field Cuckoo Bee, Field Cuckoo Bumblebee
The cuckoo bumblebee queen is about 18 mm long and the male about 15 mm. Queens have an orange-yellow collar and head, with abdominal segments 3 to 5 showing yellow sides and a black centre; males vary, some being pale with yellow markings. It is common across most of Europe and visits flowers such as green alkanet, devil's-bit scabious, thistles, dandelion, red clover, germander speedwell, ground ivy, bramble and knapweed for food.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Queens average 18 mm (0.7 in) in length, while males are about 15 mm (0.6 in) long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to and widespread across Europe.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell a cuckoo bumblebee from other bumblebees?
Look for the orange-yellow collar on the queen and the distinctive yellow-sided abdominal segments; males may be pale with yellow markings on the head and abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where am I likely to see Bombus campestris?
It is common across most of Europe, especially in habitats where its host bumblebees occur.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Apidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_campestris
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.