The red belted bumble bee, Bombus rufocinctus, is a North American native bee with a wide distribution across Canada and the United States. These ground nesting colony forming bees sometimes build their nests above the soil level in small existing cavities or soil filled rock formations instead of forming burrows as other bees do. They are active from the months of May to September, and are recognized by the two dark orange bands near the anterior of their abdomen, but the other colour bands on the abdomen can vary greatly. Some colour morphs have the second or third bands on the abdomen in either red or black, while the fourth and fifth may be yellow or black, resulting in four different looking bees. Bee colouration is dependent on genetics, much like hair colour variations in humans. Queen bumble bees are 16 – 18mm long, making them smaller in size compared to other bumble bees, while workers and males are 11 – 13mm in length. These bumble bees feed on nectar from Fragaria, Grindelia, Helianthus, Meliotus, Solidago, Trifolium, and Vicia.