The White-shouldered Bumble Bee (Bombus appositus), is common in the western states at higher elevations including the Sierra Nevada, Cascades and Rocky Mountain meadows and slopes. The species is less common in coastal areas.1 The female bees in these photos are feeding on Wild Bergamot. This species of bumble bee has a long tongue that is probably helpful for accessing nectar in tubular, long-throated flowers, I took the photographs on August 12, 2024 at Yampa Valley Botanical Park, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
