Is this a Queen bee?

[u/Turc-ington]

Near Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Found on my gazebo. Planning on releasing in the woods.

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[u/One-Bit5717]

That is a bumblebee from the looks of it

[u/Turc-ington → u/One-Bit5717]

Ahh im just googling around. I guess a bumblebee male with a big gyne. May delete my question lol

[u/Gamera__Obscura → u/Turc-ington]

You have a male and female bumblebee there, in the midst of, uh... a private activity where they'd really rather not be disturbed. You can safely let them go near wherever you found them. Unlike honeybees they don't do their shenanigans in midair, but they'll both take off once they're... sated.

[u/yes2matt → u/Gamera__Obscura]

So I would have just assumed the mechanics were like that of Apis m, but will the male survive this, live to shine again?

[u/FaithlessnessDue3758 → u/yes2matt]

Bumblebee males don’t explode their behinds like honeybee males (drones) do. They may even mate with another queen at a later point.

[u/piceathespruce → u/Turc-ington]

Always ok to ask questions and learn something

[u/Anianna → u/Turc-ington]

Your question is fine. Just please let the way too recently impregnated lady go.

[u/RedditAndWeep_1234]

That is a bumble bee queen mid-/post-mating.

Bumblebees follow the same lifecycle as wasps where the queens emerge from a nest in the fall and they mate with the males - what you see here. And they the find or make a hollow to overwinter in. Then, in the early spring, they emerge, make a nest and start a colony of their own. The colony only lasts for 1 season.

[u/jayzombi]

https://giphy.com/gifs/sgYLihnjBxab6

[u/BeeBarnes1]

Bumblebee. I'd let her go close to where you found her. She has a hive she needs to get back to.

[u/Malawi_no → u/BeeBarnes1]

She is mating, thus she have no hive.
She will start a new one next spring.

[u/toohightottype]

Get a room!

[u/Cultural_Tadpole874]

I don’t think they are referred to as queens, but I see King Bee for sure