Bombus muscorum (Moss Carder Bee)
The moss carger bee is common and widely distributed throughout the Outer Hebrides where it is assocaied with extensive areas of tall, but open, flower-rich grasslands.
Scottish Biodiversity List species of pincipal conservation importance
The colour forms of the moss carder bee vary considerably. Lighter forms occur on the mainland with darker forms (with black on the underside and legs) occur on the Inner and Outer Hebrides and on Shetland. A range of intermediate colour forms with both yellow and black hair on the face and on the underside occur on the Isle of Skye in western Scotland.
It is also very similar to the common carer bee B. pascuorum and towards the end of the summer it can be difficult to make a reliable identification in the field. B. muscorum is large with short even hair, has no black hairs above the wing bases, the hair at the front of abdominal segment 2 is scarcely darker than on segment 4, the hair on abdominal segment 1 is scarcely lighter than that on the sides of segment 3; and males can be distinguished by their genitalia. (Wright 2012)
