Bumblebee, Bombus terricola

Illustration of a bumblebee of the species Bombus terricola, with the scratchboard technique.

The pollen dots that I added at the end are painted onto the scratchboard with a gold acrylic marker.

Bombus terricola, the yellow-banded bumblebee, is a species of bee in the genus Bombus. It is native to southern Canada and the east and midwest of the United States. It possesses complex behavioral traits, such as the ability to adapt to a queenless nest, choose which flower to visit, and regulate its temperature to fly during cold weather. It was at one time a common species, but has declined in numbers since the late 1990s, likely due to urban development and parasite infection. It is a good pollinator of wild flowers and crops such as alfalfa, potatoes, raspberries, and cranberries.

In the video you can see the process of the entire illustration.