Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee
VU

Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee

Bombus quadricolor

UnknownLCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombus_quadricolor

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Bombus quadricolor faces significant population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development across its European range. The species is particularly vulnerable to the widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which impair foraging behavior and colony development. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the timing of flower blooms relative to the bee's emergence, disrupting critical pollination relationships.

Threat summary

Habitat

This bumblebee species inhabits flower-rich grasslands, meadows, and agricultural landscapes across temperate Europe. It particularly favors areas with diverse wildflower communities and requires suitable nesting sites in abandoned rodent burrows or grass tussocks.

Other threatened species in Apidae

Kirby's Nomad BeeCR

Kirby's Nomad Bee

Nomada subcornuta

Unknown
VU

Nomada stigma

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Guernsey Nomad Bee

Nomada similis

Unknown
VU

Flat-ridged Nomad Bee

Nomada obtusifrons

Unknown

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Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown
EN

Dolichopus notatus

Unknown
Haplodrassus cognatusCR

Haplodrassus cognatus

Unknown
Yellow-breasted BuntingCR

Yellow-breasted Bunting

Emberiza aureola

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee classified as Vulnerable?
Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Bombus quadricolor faces significant population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development across its European range. The species is particularly vulnerable to the widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which impair foraging behavior and colony development. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the timing of flower blooms relative to the bee's emergence, disrupting critical pollination relationships.
Where does Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee live?
Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee occurs in Åland Islands, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, and Denmark (plus 23 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee?
The main threats to Four-colored Cuckoo Bumble bee are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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