Cold northern and high-elevation habitats of Fennoscandia and northern Eurasia, with fragmented alpine populations.
Fine-art photographic collection
Bombus alpinus
A bumblebee pushed to the roof of Europe by its need for cold.
About this species
Alpine Bumblebee
Bombus alpinus(Linnaeus, 1758)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Bombus alpinus is a specialist of Arctic and high-alpine climates. In the Alps it occupies a narrow band of cold habitat associated with upper elevations and glacial landscapes, making it exceptionally sensitive to warming.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Apidae · Bombus
Accepted species or infraspecific taxon in the current GBIF/Catalogue of Life treatment; unsupported details have been omitted rather than inferred. · checked 2026-07-15
Arctic and alpine EurasiaBroad documented range and selected occurrence localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Flower-rich open habitat, woodland edge, farmland or upland habitat according to the species and region.
Diurnal; workers forage during the colony season.
Adults use nectar for energy; pollen is collected to feed developing brood.
Eusocial colony with a queen and female workers; colony cycle varies with climate.
What makes this species remarkable?
Its dense dark coat both insulates the body and absorbs solar heat, helping the bee remain active in air temperatures that stop many insects.
Alpine populations occupy a climate niche concentrated near glaciers and the highest available terrain, leaving little higher ground as temperatures rise.
A century of records shows cold-adapted mountain bumblebees shifting uphill by hundreds of metres as they track a retreating climate.