A couple of times recently I have seen the bumblebee Bombus hypnorum in my garden in Capel St Mary. There are still only half a dozen or so Suffolk sightings of this bee which colonised Britain quite naturally from the continent about 9 years ago.

I would be interested to hear of all records for this very distinctive bumblebee. It is the only British species that has a thorax clothed with orangey brown hairs AND a pure white "tail" (tip of the abdomen). Beware of confusion with the very common B. pascuorum, which has the orange thorax and pale buffy-brown hairs on the abdomen.

If you think you've seen one and can get a digital photo of it, all the better

Adrian Knowles
SNS Hymenoptera Recorder