About Bombus cryptarum (Fabricius, 1775)
Bombus cryptarum, commonly known as the cryptic bumblebee, is a species of bumblebee. It is native to the Northern Hemisphere, and has been described as "one of the most widespread bumblebees in the world." It can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and western North America. The full distribution of this species remains unclear due to ongoing taxonomic uncertainties. It belongs to a species complex of several bees in the subgenus Bombus sensu stricto; members of this complex are very similar and difficult to distinguish from one another. This species was only recently identified in the British Isles. Bombus cryptarum differs from Bombus magnus both in phylogeny and in the composition of its labial gland secretions. Bombus cryptarum florilegus, an endangered subspecies found in Japan, was previously thought to have a close relationship with Bombus lucorum. Studies of this Japanese subspecies have found it has low genetic diversity, and that its populations are maintained by immigration from the Notsuke Peninsula to the Chishima (Kuril) Islands. In northern areas, this bee lives on plains, most commonly in heather ecosystems. In southern regions, it occurs in mountain habitat.
