Banded white-tailed bumblebees belong to a category that includes a number of similar-looking species. Here are some tips on how to tell the commonest ones apart.
Images: Hoverfly ©Ailura. All others ©Steven Falk
Buff-tailed bumblebee
![photo of male and female bombus terrestris](http://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/media_with_text_image/public/bees_BombusTerrestris_0.jpg?itok=CQm4fE84)
White-tailed bumblebee
![photo of male and female bombus lucorum](http://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/media_with_text_image/public/bees_BombusIucorum_0.jpg?itok=AkQlH5Wh)
Garden bumblebee
![photo of garden bumblebee, Bombus hortorum](http://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/media_with_text_image/public/Bombus%20hortorum%20%28c%29%20S.Falk_.jpg?itok=dZLyQjVR)
Heath bumblebee
![Heath bumblebee - male (Bombus jonellus)](http://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/media_with_text_image/public/Bombus%20jonellus%20male%20%28c%29%20S.Falk_.jpg?itok=os9aUJpF)
Lookalikes
Cuckoo bumblebees
![Cuckoo bumblebees](http://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/media_with_text_image/public/Cuckoo%20bumblebee%28c%29%20S.Falk_.jpg?itok=3JPHDAxG)
Hoverflies
![Hoverflies (Volucella bombylans)](http://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/media_with_text_image/public/Volucella%20bombylans%20%28c%29%20Ailura.jpg?itok=EEqK322A)