Bombus (Farbmuster, UK)

Worker of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

Bumblebees can be a suitable subject for school exercises. We plan to provide a direct, on-wiki key here, which allows modifications for school projects. This key is based on the bumblebee key by Paul Williams from the NHM in London, UK. The re-cast into a wiki-key here is authorized by Paul Williams.

The motivation to recast the existing English-language key here is to simplify its adaptation to other regions and languages, so it can be used in a variety of Key to Nature projects.

Plan:

1. Check the UK key for correctness
2. Modify it for Central Europe / Netherlands / Germany / Austria
3. Translate it to German and Dutch
4. Add further regions where possible and translate.

General note: The key below is not already cut down into one or few couplets per web page. We currently develop a tool that will make such a key "playable" in a couplet-by-couplet mode. Thus, the key rendering below should be evaluated as a long-term archive as well as printing format, not as a user interface. Suggestions how to improve the key display are most welcome!

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BumblebeeID – find British species by colour pattern

Von: Paul Williams
(Geltungsbereich nicht angegeben) — Zusammenarbeit: offen — Stand: PRESENTLY WORK IN PROGRESS, NOT USABLE YET — Bisherige Koautoren: G. Hagedorn

Vorlage:Lead/SubtitleVorlage:Lead/SubtitleVorlage:Lead/Subtitle

1	a	Tail yellow-white    ► 2
1	b	Tail orange, red, or brown    ► 9
1	c	Tail black    ► 14
2	a	Having orange-red thorax    ► 3
2	b	Without pale bands    ► 4
2	c	Having 1 yellow band    ► 5
2	d	Having 2 yellow bands    ► 6
2	e	Having 3 yellow bands    ► 7
2	f	Tail mostly yellow    ► 8
3	a	Widespread species: B. pascuorum, northern form    Bombus pascuorum
3	b	Local species: B. humilis, southern form    Bombus humilis
3	c	Local species    Bombus muscorum
3	d	Local species    Bombus hypnorum
3	e	Local species: B. campestris ##### COMPARE 4 BELOW, there campestris is widespread ####    Bombus campestris
4	a	Widespread species    Bombus campestris
4	b	Local species: B. jonellus, rare dark mainland form, predominantly N+W    Bombus jonellus
5	a	Widespread species: B. terrestris, queen (dark form)    Bombus terrestris
5	b	Widespread species    Bombus vestalis
5	c	Widespread species    Bombus bohemicus
5	d	Widespread species    Bombus sylvestris
5	e	Extremely rare: B. subterraneus, extinct southern form    Bombus subterraneus
6	a	Widespread species    Bombus terrestris
6	b	Widespread species    Bombus lucorum
6	c	Widespread species    Bombus barbutellus
6	d	Widespread species    Bombus sylvestris
6	e	Widespread species: B. campestris (common form)    Bombus campestris
6	f	Local species: B. soroeensis, predominantly N+W    Bombus soroeensis
6	g	Local species: B. ruderatus, southern form    Bombus ruderatus
6	h	Local species: B. jonellus, rare dark mainland form, predominantly N+W    Bombus jonellus
6	i	Extremely rare: B. subterraneus, extinct southern form    Bombus subterraneus
7	a	Widespread species    Bombus hortorum
7	b	Widespread species    Bombus lucorum
7	c	Widespread species    Bombus vestalis
7	d	Widespread species    Bombus bohemicus
7	e	Widespread species    Bombus barbutellus
7	f	Widespread species    Bombus campestris
7	g	Local species: B. jonellus, mainland form, predominantly N+W    Bombus jonellus
7	h	Local species: B. ruderatus, southern form    Bombus ruderatus
7	i	Extremely rare: B. subterraneus, extinct southern form    Bombus subterraneus
8	a	Widespread species    Bombus lucorum
8	b	Widespread species    Bombus campestris
8	c	Local species: B. distinguendus (northern)    Bombus distinguendus
8	d	Extremely rare: B. subterraneus, extinct southern form    Bombus subterraneus
9	a	orange-red thorax    ► 10
9	b	No pale bands    ► 11
9	c	One or two yellow bands    ► 12
9	d	Three yellow/olive/grey bands    ► 13
10	a	Widespread species: B. pascuorum, southern form    Bombus pascuorum
10	b	Local species: B. muscorum, N+W island form    Bombus muscorum
11	a	Widespread species    Bombus lapidarius
11	b	Local species    Bombus ruderarius
11	c	Local species: B. sylvarum, rare dark form    Bombus sylvarum
11	d	Local species: B. rupestris, southern    Bombus rupestris
11	e	Extremely rare, perhaps extinct species: B. cullumanus, extinct southern    Bombus cullumanus
11	f	Extremely rare, perhaps extinct species: B. pomorum, extinct southern    Bombus pomorum
12	a	Widespread species    Bombus pratorum
12	b	Widespread species    Bombus lapidarius
12	c	Widespread species    Bombus sylvestris
12	d	Local species: B. monticola, N+W uplands    Bombus monticola
12	e	Local species: B. rupestris, southern    Bombus rupestris
13	a	Widespread species    Bombus pratorum
13	b	Widespread species    Bombus lapidarius
13	c	Local species: B. ruderarius, southern    Bombus ruderarius
13	d	Local species: B. sylvarum, southern    Bombus sylvarum
13	e	Local species: B. jonellus, N island form    Bombus jonellus
13	f	Local species: B. monticola, N+W uplands    Bombus monticola
13	g	Local species: B. rupestris, southern    Bombus rupestris
13	h	Extremely rare: B. cullumanus, extinct southern    Bombus cullumanus
13	i	Extremely rare: B. pomorum, extinct southern    Bombus pomorum
14	a	orange-brown thorax    Bombus pascuorum
14	b	No pale bands    ► 15
15	a	Widespread species: B. hortorum (rarely having dark forms)    Bombus hortorum Error: You may have an erroneous 4th unnamed parameter (vertical bar without a field name), or you may use "commonname/common name/remark/results/synonym/image/images" instead of "common names/remarks/result/synonyms/image a" etc. The content is: (Dark B. hortorum, B. campestris, and B. ruderatus are not distinguishable based on their pattern.) . To add descriptions use |description=Your text|; to add one or several synonyms use |synonmys=Synonym 1; Synonym 2|; to add images use |image 1a=Image:YourImage.jpg |caption 1a=Your Caption (images a to e are in the sidebar, j following below lead text, with j/k always visible and, images m to r in the "more"-information area below the lead).
15	b	Widespread species: B. campestris (rarely having dark forms)    Bombus campestris
15	c	Local species: B. ruderatus (southern form may be dark)    Bombus ruderatus

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See also German page on Key to Nature: "Hummeln erkennen und schützen"