Skip to main content

Kōrero: Wasps and bees

Distribution of bumblebees

Bombus subterraneus

Bombus hortorum

Bombus ruderatus

Bombus terrestris

BUMBLEBEE SPECIES Distribution South Island North Island Stewart Island AUCKLAND WELLINGTON CHRISTCHURCH DUNEDIN  
◀ Click to view species distribution

Four species of bumblebee were introduced to New Zealand to pollinate clover for the agricultural industry. Click on each species to see where it is found.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Astrid Dijkgraaf, ‘Flight of the bumblebee.’ New Zealand Geographic 24 (1994): facing 97

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

John Early, Wasps and bees – Introduced bees, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/interactive/11163/distribution-of-bumblebees (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā John Early, i tāngia i te 1 March 2009.

Comments

J. Doyle
29 October 2013
October, 2013 tidying up the garden (suburban Palmerston North), I noticed many bumble bees buzzing around a pile of garden rubbish I was moving. I have been growing broad beans the past few years and these always attract bumble bees.
J Batten
04 July 2011
Last year my jade plant, on the balcony of my Auckland apartment, was covered with bumblebees. This year it is flowering just as profusely, but I haven't seen a single bumble bee. What might be happening? I write a blog, and would like to put up a post about this as last year I posted about the profusion of bumblebee visitors.
keith mobbs
17 January 2011
As at Mid January 2011 there is a plague of bumble bees in the Murchison Upper Buller Gorge area. They seem to be coming from the bush.