hymenoptera: bees, wasps, etc.

  

Hello, yellow-faced bumble bee, a.k.a. Bombus vosnesenskii.

This post recounts my process of elimination
re: what species this may be,
but briefly, I used the North American Bumblebees,
bugguide.net, and from San Francisco State University,
this guide to the Bombus of San Francisco.

They seem to be quite common in my garden,
and are forever hovering around this purple-flowered plant.

This particular photo was helpful
by showing me it had no yellow on it's belly.
A lucky shot--at the time, I had NO idea
a tummy shot was important.

Welcome to what's what, yellow-faced bumble bee!
So glad to know you. =)

bb