Bees, wasps and antsIn Ohio
Perplexing Bumble Bee
Bombus perplexus Cresson, 1863
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Apidae
- Genus
- Bombus
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 1 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (52)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (29)
- Recorded, season not shown (6)
- Season shown (1)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Allen County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashtabula County | 47 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Athens County | 22 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Auglaize County | No qualifying records yet |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | No qualifying records yet |
| Butler County | No qualifying records yet |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet |
| Champaign County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clark County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clermont County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Cuyahoga County | 31 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Darke County | No qualifying records yet |
| Defiance County | No qualifying records yet |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Erie County | No qualifying records yet |
| Fairfield County | No qualifying records yet |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet |
| Franklin County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Greene County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Guernsey County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hamilton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hancock County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Highland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Holmes County | No qualifying records yet |
| Huron County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | 31 · Season shown |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet |
| Licking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Logan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lorain County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lucas County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Madison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mahoning County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Marion County | No qualifying records yet |
| Medina County | 71 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | No qualifying records yet |
| Miami County | No qualifying records yet |
| Monroe County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Montgomery County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morgan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morrow County | No qualifying records yet |
| Muskingum County | No qualifying records yet |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ottawa County | No qualifying records yet |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet |
| Perry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pickaway County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Preble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Sandusky County | No qualifying records yet |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet |
| Stark County | 34 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Summit County | 67 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | No qualifying records yet |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Williams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Ohio
Mid-May to early August, middle week Jul 12–18
Middle week · Jul 12–18
This week · Nov 8–14
Show over the bars
Records per week from 555 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 294 dates. Latest record: October 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Perplexing Bumble Bee | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 4 | 3 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 4 | 3 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 7 | 4 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 3 | 3 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 9 | 3 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 7 | 5 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 2 | 2 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 5 | 3 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 9 | 6 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 10 | 5 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 18 | 9 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 60 | 9 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 91 | 9 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 120 | 10 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 106 | 9 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 52 | 8 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 27 | 7 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 13 | 7 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 1 | 1 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 1 | 1 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 0 | 0 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 1 | 1 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 1 | 1 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 3 | 2 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
No adult season shown here. The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Relatives
In the same genus
Other Bombus recorded in Ohio
American Bumble BeeBombus pensylvanicusBlack-and-gold Bumble BeeBombus auricomusBrown-belted Bumble BeeBombus griseocollisCommon Eastern Bumble BeeBombus impatiensGolden Northern Bumble BeeBombus fervidusHalf-black Bumble BeeBombus vagansLemon Cuckoo Bumble BeeBombus citrinusTwo-spotted Bumble BeeBombus bimaculatus
Identification
How to identify it
Look-alikes
When
Land cover
Often confused with
- Two-spotted Bumble Bee Bombus bimaculatusOften confused in Ohio: 30 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Half-black Bumble Bee Bombus vagansOften confused in Ohio: 26 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Golden Northern Bumble Bee Bombus fervidusOften confused in Ohio: 17 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Common Eastern Bumble Bee Bombus impatiens213 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Brown-belted Bumble Bee Bombus griseocollis119 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: no record
- Feb: no record
- Mar: no record
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: no record
- Dec: no record
Not reported in Ohio in November to March, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 69%49% |
| Forest | 18%31% |
| Farmland | 10%11% |
| Wetland | 2%5% |
| Grassland and shrub | 1%0.9% |
| Open water | 0.3%3% |
From 295 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
555 records from 3 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 548 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- Xerces Society - Bumble Bee Watch (opens in a new tab) · United States Geological Survey · 4 recordsHatfield R, Kerr J, Larrivée M (2024). Xerces Society - Bumble Bee Watch. Version 1.11. United States Geological Survey. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/t4rau8 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 3 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF downloads doi:10.15468/dl.8m7c3d (opens in a new tab), doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.