Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Bumble Bee

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

The Bumble Bee
40 bar Jig for 2 Couples in a 4 Couple Set, devised by Aurelia Green, 2023.

Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


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The Bumble Bee - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

A bumblebee is any of over 250 species in the genus Bombus, part of Apidae, one of the bee families.

This genus is the only surviving group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera, such as *Calyptapis*, are known from fossils. They are mainly found in higher altitudes or latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere but also occur in South America, where some lowland tropical species have been identified.

European bumblebees have also been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania. Female bumblebees can sting repeatedly, but generally ignore humans and other animals.

Most bumblebees are social insects that form colonies with a single queen. The colonies are smaller than those of honey bees, growing to as few as 50 individuals in a nest.

The bumblebee tribe Bombini is one of four groups of corbiculate bees (those with pollen baskets) in the Apidae, the others being the Apini (honey bees), Euglossini (orchid bees), and Meliponini (stingless bees).

Bumble bees are larger with round, fuzzy bodies, live in smaller colonies that last only one year, and produce very little honey. Honey bees are smaller with slim bodies, live in large, long-lasting colonies, and produce substantial amounts of honey.

Bumblebee On Flower In Galashiels On The Scottish Borders Of Scotland
Bumblebee In Galashiels, Scottish Borders, Scotland


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