The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis) is the MN State Bee and was listed as federally endangered in 2017. It has been spotted throughout Mendota Heights in the last five years. Its original range stretched from southern Canada to the southern United States and throughout the Midwest. The rusty patched bumble bee is black with mostly yellow thorax, and a black band or spot between its wings that sometimes extends toward the back in a
v-shape. The bottom of the thorax is black. Males and worker bees have a yellow segment in the abdomen and a patch of rusty hairs in the second portion of the segment in the front, with yellow hairs on the back and sides. Queens are entirely yellow on the first two abdominal segments and the rest of the abdominal segments are black.
The rusty patched bumble bee is a social species with an annual cycle that begins in early spring. Solitary queens emerge from overwintering sites to initiate colonies and produce workers throughout the summer. New males and new queens are produced in late summer and early fall. They require undisturbed nesting habitat in proximity to foraging resources and overwintering habitat for the next year’s queens.
Rusty patched bumble bees have been observed in a variety of habitats that include prairie, woodlands, marshes, agricultural landscapes, as well as parks and gardens. However, they require areas that support sufficient food sources, including nectar and pollen from diverse and abundant flowering plants, and undisturbed nesting sites in close proximity to food sources.