Franklin's Bumble Bee
Bombus franklini
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin's_bumblebee
Overview
Franklin's bumblebee is one of the most narrowly distributed bumblebee species, making it a critically endangered bee in the western United States. It lives only in a 190-by-70-mile area in southern Oregon and northern California, between the Coast and Sierra-Cascade mountain ranges. It was last seen in 2006. Franklin's bumblebee is a generalist forager which collects nectar and pollen from several wildflowers, such as lupine, California poppy, and horsemint.
Franklin's bumble bee faces extinction primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural conversion and urban development in its extremely limited range. Disease transmission from commercial bumble bee colonies used in greenhouse agriculture has severely impacted wild populations. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering the timing of flower blooms that the species depends on for nectar and pollen.
Habitat
Franklin's bumble bee inhabits high-elevation meadows, grasslands, and forest edges in the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges of southern Oregon and northern California. The species requires diverse wildflower communities for foraging and suitable nesting sites in underground cavities or dense vegetation.
Conservation measures underway
Other threatened species in APIDAE
Threatened in United States
Frequently asked questions
Why is Franklin's Bumble Bee classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Franklin's Bumble Bee live?
What are the main threats to Franklin's Bumble Bee?
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