Bumble bees of North America an identification guide / Paul H. Williams, Robbin W. Thorp, Leif L. Richardson and Sheila R. Colla.

More than ever before, there is widespread interest in studying bumble bees and the critical role they play in our ecosystems. Bumble Bees of North America is the first comprehensive guide to North American bumble bees to be published in more than a century. Richly illustrated with color photographs, diagrams, range maps, and graphs of seasonal activity patterns, this guide allows amateur and professional naturalists to identify all 46 bumble bee species found north of Mexico and to understand their ecology and changing geographic distributions. The book draws on the latest molecular research, shows the enormous color variation within species, and guides readers through the many confusing convergences between species. It draws on a large repository of data from museum collections and presents state-of-the-art results on evolutionary relationships, distributions, and ecological roles. Illustrated keys allow identification of color morphs and social castes.

Includes bibliographies and index.

Introduction -- Observing bumble bees -- Attracting bumble bees -- Bumble bee forage guide by ecoregion -- Maps and seasonal activity -- Bumble bee decline and conservation -- Threats to bumble bees -- Natural enemies -- Mimicry -- Distinguishing bumble bees from other insects -- Bumble bee names and classification -- How to use this book to identify bumble bee species -- Species accounts -- Square-or long-cheeked bees with a rounded angle on the midleg -- Short-cheeked bees with a rounded angle on the midleg -- Medium- or long-cheeked bees with a sharp angle on the midleg -- Hindleg (tibia) with the outer surface uniformly convex and densely hairy (cuckoo bumble bees, no workers).

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