Bombus sichelii

• Scientific name: Bombus sichelii
• Common name: Sichel's bumblebee
• Dimension: 13-15 mm
• Habitat: open mountain slopes or with sparse woodland, pastures, flower-rich meadows, alpine prairies; generally between 1,900 and 2,700 meters above sea level
• Behavior: 'social species
• Collective behavior: polylectic
• Nest: in the ground, in the nests of small mammals or other existing cavities
• Parasitized by: Bombus rupestris
• Red list of bees in Switzerland: not endangered

Interesting Facts:

Most people are familiar with bumblebees, but many don't know that they belong to the group of wild bees. Sichel's bumblebee is mainly found in mountainous regions and in the Alps. Thanks to the rapid vibration of its wing muscles, it can increase its body temperature up to 30 °C. In this way, depending on its size, it is able to fly even at temperatures close to zero.