The bumblebee is medium in size: the tsarina reaches 16-18 mm in length, the workers and 10-15 mm. The body is black, completely covered with light yellow, and at the end of the abdomen with reddish hairs.
Females and workers : the head is somewhat elongated, widely rounded on the back of the head. The upper lip is rectangular in shape, the mandibles are strongly bent, overlap when approaching. The forehead above the antennae is covered with gray or yellow hairs. A dark transverse continuous band located on the back between the bases of the wings with a fuzzy front edge. The sides of the chest are completely covered with gray or yellowish-gray hairs. Abdomen with 6 tergites. The hind tibia has spurs along the edges with long hairs forming a “basket”. There is a sting.
Males : abdomen with 7 tergites. The bases of the 4th and 5th tergites are covered with orange hairs. The sting is missing.
It lives in dry meadows. Pollinates vegetable and fruit crops, as well as alfalfa . Ground or underground nesting: arranges nests on the surface of the soil and in burrows of rodents. Departure of females from wintering in the second decade of May.
