The UK is home to 24 species of bumblebee, including 6 species of cuckoo bumblebee. These important pollinators are social insects, with fascinating ecology and life cycles.

This presentation will feature the 6 cuckoo bumblebees that occur in the UK. These brood parasites enter the nests of their host species and replace the host queen, with the host workers becoming slaves that nurture the cuckoo bumblebee grubs and feed the cuckoo queen.

At the end of the session, learners should feel more comfortable submitting records of the following species to iRecord:

• Southern Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus vestalis)
• Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus bohemicus)
• Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus sylvestris)
• Barbut’s Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus barbutellus)
• Red-tailed Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus rupestris)
• Field Cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus campestris)

We’ll then look at the stories behind two species of bumblebee that have gone extinct in the UK over the last century:

• Cullum’s Bumblebee (Bombus cullumanus)
• Short-haired Bumblebee (Bombus subterraneus)

The 90-minute event will consist of a 1-hour presentation followed by a Q&A with the tutor using questions provided by the live audience. The presentation will be recorded be made available following the event to those booked alongside a transcript of the Q&A and useful links.

entoLEARN Webinars

Our entoLEARN webinars focus on focus on groups of UK invertebrates, with subject specialists presenting aspects of the biology, ecology and behaviour of UK species.

This webinar is part of a series of 3 webinars focusing on UK bumblebees:

1. Bumblebees of the UK Part 1 (Mon 30 Dec 2024 18:30 – 20:00 GMT)will focus on “The Big 8” most common bumblebees occurring in the UK.
2. Bumblebees of the UK Part 2(Mon 20 Jan 2025 18:30 – 20:00 GMT) will focus on the rare and localised species.
3. Bumblebees of the UK Part 3 (Mon 10 Feb 2025 18:30 – 20:00 GMT) will focus on the cuckoo bumblebees and the two species that have recently gone extinct in the UK.

Bumblebee Specialist: Dr Nikki Gammans

Dr Nikki Gammans has worked for Bumblebee Conservation Trust since 2009, firstly as a project officer and more recently, as Conservation Project Manager for SE England. Prior to conservation work, she completed a PhD and Post Doc on ant behaviour and ecology.

Webinar Fees and Cancellation Policy

This webinar will be recorded and the presentation will be made available following the event to those booked alongside a transcript of the Q&A and useful links.

This event is unfunded and we rely on ticket fees to cover the costs of running the event.

1. entoLEARN Webinar Ticket – Ticket price is £10.

Ticket fees are non-refundable. They consist wholly of an administrative fee of £10, covering both Eventbrite fees and time spent by the Biological Recording Company processing the order.

This entoLEARN presentation is delivered by the Biological Recording Company in partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.