Included here are two large species that are almost entirely yellow, plus the Yellow-Banded Bumble Bee which is more than 1/2 yellow on the abdomen, and two species that can occasionally appear as mostly yellow.

Northern Amber Bumble Bee (Bombus borealis)

Abdomen yellow to orange, thorax with a thick black band, and black wing pits. Photo © Kent McFarland

Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)

Abdomen yellow, thorax with a thin black band, yellow wing pits. Photo © Spencer Hardy

Yellow-banded Bumble Bee (Bombus terricola)

Abdomen black on either end with two wide yellow segments in the middle, back half of thorax usually black. Photo © Kent McFarland

Tricolored Bumble Bee (Bombus ternarius)

Thorax with distinct black shield. Abdomen usually distinctly red, though some individuals appear a faded orange, similar to Northern Amber Bumble Bees. Photo © Kent McFarland

Perplexing Bumble Bee (Bombus perplexus)

Females with abdominal yellow limited the first two segments. Males can have yellow on the first 3 or 4 segments. Thorax usually without a large black dot.